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Are you reaching that point in your life when you have to plan for your retirement? You must not rely on your social security money alone for covering all the expenses after your retirement. Not having a proper retirement plan will lead to a bad situation after your retirement and that is something that you must avoid. Here are 4 retirement plans that you can consider and choose from.

1. The 401(K) Plan

This is one of the most popular plans that employers use to secure their employee’s retirement. According to this plan, you must match your employer’s contribution to the plan (which oscillates between 1% and 6% of the payment) to take full advantage of the plan. Plan your investment properly so that you can take full advantage of it after retirement. Failing to match your employer’s contribution will make the investment in this retirement plan redundant. There are many other flexible investment plans for helping you with your contribution to the retirement plan. Choose one that you can afford.

2. Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA

Many small time employers secure their employee’s retirement using this plan instead of the 401(K) plan. The only difference between these two plans is the fact that this plan has no maintenance fee as such from the employer’s side and thus is a popular choice with most small time employers. The contribution that the employee is supposed to make to this plan is deducted automatically from the pay check.

3. Traditional IRA (Individual Plan)

It is always advised that you should maintain an individual retirement plan along with the employer’s retirement plan that is already in place. The contribution that you can make to this plan is limitless and depends on your personal financial abilities completely. The contribution eligibility is set at $5,000, plus $1,000 catch up for those over 50 years old, but not per account.

4. Roth IRA (Individual Plan)

This plan is similar to the Traditional IRA plan with the same limit and eligibility criterions. The only difference is the fact that the contributions you will make to this plan is not income tax deductible.

In case you find out that you are ineligible for the IRA individual plans, you can always set up an annuity fund. The tax benefits are lower than the tax benefits one gets with the IRA funds and also the contribution fees are higher than usual. These shouldn’t deter you from having a solid retirement plan in the first place.

If you commute to work every day, you know how much of a headache it can be. From traffic to the cost of gas, tolls and parking, just getting to the office every morning can be extremely stressful.

Fortunately, there are many ways you can reduce the cost of your daily commute, according to a report from the Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, version of the local news site Patch. One of the easiest ways to do this, for millions of people across the country, is to start relying on public transportation more often. These options are becoming very popular again because of the rising price of gas, but can also provide you even more savings because in some states, you are allowed to use a tax deduction for an annual discount of up to $500 on your federal filing. Your car insurance company might also give you a discount.

Taking public transportation will obviously not only help you save significantly on the gas you buy every month – even if you still have to drive a short distance to your nearest train station, bus stop or park and ride location – but will also give you more time to relax either before or after office hours, or even get some extra work done.

Of course, another great way to save money on your commute is to stick with an old standby: the carpool, the report said. Finding three people or more from your office who live in your area to share a ride to work sometimes or even every day can help to significantly reduce the amount you pay for fuel every month. Think of it this way: If you get four other people to drive to work with you every week, you’re only driving your car one day instead of five, saving not only on gasoline, but also on wear and tear on the vehicle. In addition, some states also have ride-sharing programs that allow consumers to find other people in their area who would want to participate in a carpool. Some states even incentivize participation by providing gas cards to consumers who enroll for the first time.

“From taking transit to carpooling, there are many ways commuters can save time and money getting to work,” Barry Seymour, executive director of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, told the site, adding that these measures also have a positive impact on the environment.

But even if those measures won’t work for you, and you still have to head to the office by yourself every day, there are still a number of ways to save, the report said. The simplest is to change your driving habits so that you’re not using as much fuel. During a commute, it can be easy to fall into aggressive driving habits like speeding, braking hard and so forth in order to get to work faster, but doing so also burns significantly more fuel. In fact, aggressive driving tactics often cost consumers as much as 33 percent of their vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Further, having a lot of junk in your car can also slow the vehicle down, with every hundred pounds reducing its efficiency by as much as 2 percent.

If you want to make sure your car is running in tip-top shape, you should also stick to the routine maintenance schedule provided by its manufacturer, as well as making sure your tires are properly inflated and using the right kind of oil, the report said.

A number of people these days are in the minds of buying Iraqi dinar, as it opens up an additional investment benefit for the future. Another appeal that lies with the idea of buy Iraqi money is the affordable rates. People from all across the world are banking upon the idea of investing in the Iraqi currency for reaping rewarding benefits through the “get-rich-quick” scheme. Usually, it is considered that the Iraqi dinar investment is certain to offer high returns in recent future, as the country stabilizes and economy soars in the country.

Well, prior to investing in the Iraqi dinar, it is important for you to know the differences between the old and the new dinar. This is important to ensure that you are relying on a profitable investment that is sure to bring in rewarding returns for you. Investment in old dinars is sure not to offer you profitable returns, as these are no longer considered worth the investment. The new Iraqi dinars are available in denomination of 50, 250, 1000, 5000, 10,000 and 25,000 dinars. If you are looking forward to a valuable investment opportunity then, focus on buying dinars that are worth the value.

It is also essential for you to know the terms of spotting a counterfeit dinar, the moment you wish to buy Iraqi money. While buying foreign currency and considering an investment on it, it is important that you understand the counterfeiting terms well, as into prevent and avoid fraud dealings. The new dinars come with the most modern characteristics that help in preventing counterfeits. The features that the new Iraqi currency comes with are raised letters, security thread, optical variable ink, and watermarks.

While you are considering investing in a foreign currency, always keep in mind to rely upon genuine and trustworthy traders in the market. It is always advisable that you visit the local bank inquiring about Iraqi dinar and the buying procedure. If your banks deals with foreign currency then, chances of obtaining the Iraqi currency from the bank stays to be high. In other alternatives, you can search the Internet for finding dealers online or rely upon the local market traders. Always remember to check the credibility as you set to buy Iraqi money by checking on their registration with Better Business Bureau (BBB) and U.S.A treasury department.

While wishing to buy Iraqi money, it is essential for you to place your order cautiously to save yourself from frauds. You can place your order through varied means that include money order, credit card, check, etc dependent on your trader and mode of transaction. All that you need to keep in mind is that you are dealing with large amount of money and therefore being careful should come naturally to you.