The big three – divorce, debt and student loans – can hamper your retirement savings efforts

We all like to say that “life gets in the way” is a chief reason why we can’t put money away for retirement.

An interesting piece in Business Insider takes a look at the top three killers of retirement dreams.

First up, the article notes, is divorce. “Divorce impacts all facets of your finances, but it can hit your retirement savings especially hard,” the article notes. That’s because retirement assets, such as retirement accounts and pensions, can be subject to splitting when couples break up, the article explains.

The article, written for a U.S. audience, suggests that retirement accounts “may be divided equally” on marriage breakdown. So you might lose half your nest egg, and if you are the spouse paying support, there’s another expense that can “eat away at your ability to save.”

The article advises those going through a divorce to get their retirement plan rolling again as soon as things have settled.

The second major retirement savings killer is consumer debt, the magazine reports. “While getting out of debt can be tough, it will be even harder to save for retirement with monthly debt payments in the way,” Business Insider tells us. A U.S. study cited in the article notes that 21.3 per cent of those surveyed agreed that consumer debt “prevented them from reaching their savings goals.”

The article suggests focusing on higher-interest credit cards and credit lines first.

Finally, the article says, dealing with student loans is considered the third barrier to retirement. Again, this article is talking about the U.S. situation, but here in Canada, the average student was $27,000 in debt 10 years ago. That number, taken from the Vice.com site is bound to be much higher today. That’s a lot of money for entry-level workers to have to carry.

The article concludes that you can’t predict how your life will go. There’s no surefire way to avoid a divorce, but you can try and limit your consumer debt and where possible, pay down student loans later in life when you are making more.

The article notes that those who start saving for retirement at age 25 tend to have “tens of thousands” more dollars in their retirement plans than those who start at age 35.

If you’re intimidated about taking that first major step into retirement saving, help is on the way via the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. You can start small, perhaps in the days when you’re just starting out and juggling student and other debt, and then ramp up savings when better times arrive. Meanwhile, the experts at SPP are growing your savings for you, at low cost and with an impressive track record of returns. Check them out today!

Written by Martin Biefer
	Martin Biefer is Senior Pension Writer at Avery & Kerr Communications in Nepean, Ontario. A veteran reporter, editor and pension communicator, he’s now a freelancer. Interests include golf, line dancing, classic rock, and darts. You can follow him on Twitter – his handle is @AveryKerr22