Think of a nest egg as a piggy bank for grown-ups that you get to crack open when you retire or reach a specific financial goal. Typically, your nest egg is money you want to protect at all costs as it represents the work you’ve put into saving for the future. To meet your future financial goals, we’ve put together our top savings strategies.

1. Create a Budget

The first step to building a successful nest egg is saving money, and the best way to save money is by creating a budget. Budgeting is a great habit to establish early on in life. Having a budget keeps your finances in control, creates wiggle room, and ensures you have money left over as you save for the future.

To make your monthly budget:

1. Set SMART goals: (S)pecific, (M)easurable, (A)chievable, (R)elevant, (T)imebound.
2. Use a secure tool like a spreadsheet or Mint. 
3. Write down your total monthly income after taxes. 
4. Calculate your monthly expenses into categories like utilities, debts, food, and entertainment, and see where you can cut back.
5. Determine how much spare money you must save and invest by subtracting your expenses from your income. We love the 50/30/20 rule (50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings)!
6. Track spending, review, and adjust!

2. Pay Off Debt

Debt can be a major barrier in building a nest egg, especially when it’s high interest. Prioritizing paying off your debt will save money on interest, reduce stress, and enable you to put more money into your savings. We suggest adding debt payments to your monthly budget to ensure you stay on track.

3. Saving for the Future Will Save Your Future 

Once you’ve created a budget, built a debt-repayment plan, and identified areas where you can cut back, it’s time to start saving. 

We recommend these three steps to start saving for the future:

• First, build an emergency fund of three to six months of living expenses. 
• Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to a savings account every week or every month. (But this doesn’t mean you can’t manually put an extra $100 into your savings whenever you find additional cash!)
• Finally, open a high-yield savings account to earn more interest than a traditional one. 
  • DEXSTA offers the following high-yield accounts:
    • Share Savings Accounts
    • Money Market Accounts
    • Free Kasasa Accounts

4. Take Advantage of Compound Interest

Time is a powerful asset when it comes to saving for retirement. The earlier your start investing, the longer your money has to grow. This is due to compound interest, which is when you earn interest on both the money you’ve saved and the interest you earn.

There are many investment options for retirement, and the general rule of thumb is the higher the risk, the higher the potential gains.

These are the most popular investment strategies:

• IRAs
• 401Ks
• Mutual Funds
• Stocks

Start Saving For the Future Today!

Building a nest egg takes time and work, but it’s a worthwhile investment to be financially secure when you retire. By creating a budget, saving smartly, maximizing Social Security benefits, and utilizing the power of compound growth, you can build a strong financial foundation for the years ahead. The key is to start early and be consistent in your savings and investment habits.

If you like the sound of switching to a high-yield savings account, opening an IRA, or just need some financial guidance, we’ll set you up with the tools to start saving for the future. Apply online, stop by one of our branches, or call 833-2DEXSTA.