My financial resolutions for 2009, #3 in a series

Editor’s note: We asked our resident money experts to share their financial resolutions for the year ahead. Here, the third in our series:

I haven’t made any specific financial resolutions or goals for 2009, but last year’s market debacle has me thinking more about beefing up my retirement savings. I contribute the maximum amount to my 401(k) every year, though I haven’t yet started to take advantage of the step-up contributions that those 50 and above are entitled to take (that would require me to admit that I’m over 50). My husband is covered by a defined benefit pension, and he contributes to a deferred compensation plan.

This time last year, I felt fairly certain that we’d be able to retire comfortably in about 10 years, assuming that we both continued to work and save and that our investments earned a reasonable rate of return. Now, after seeing our retirement accounts drop about 35 percent, I’m not so sure. So I’m adjusting my expectations.

Right now it’s tough to come up with any more money to sock away for retirement, though that will change in the next few years. We’re putting about $7,000 a year into a 529 college savings plan for our daughter, now a freshman. I’m eyeing that money as additional retirement savings, once it’s clear that her college costs will be mostly covered. She’s on her own for graduate school, though.

We’ve been diligent about beefing up our cash cushion, and have made good progress there. We’ve also been watching our spending—cutting back this past holiday season on gifts and keeping a close eye on day-to-day expenses. I’m considering putting any additional savings we can eke out toward paying down our mortgage—I’d like to have that debt retired by the time I do. Besides, where else can you get a guaranteed return of 5.5 percent these days? —Noreen Perrotta, money editor

Comments

[Josey23]

Yoy. Noreen, you're doing great in your financial planning. I can't think of more than one or two people I know who are more prepared than what you've described. My wife and I are in our mid-40s with two small kids, up to our ears in debt and badly behind in our retirement planning. And that was before 2008.

"Retirement" has always been a vague concept for me and now it has become one of those things that I just have to accept that I'm not going to do. My resolution has been to only check my retirement account quarterly and to not worry about finances so much. A wife, kids and a roof over my head; maybe I'm rich after all.