write one response

I do not believe that we have been too focused on saving early. I do not fully agree with Kitces. Waiting until later to begin saving may very well be "normal" but that does not mean that it is optimal. Kitces is right that you probably will not be able to save as much when you are younger, but whatever you can save will have so much more time to grow. It is also very important for saving and financial stability both now and in the future that you are always living within your means. For many Americans, it is not the lack of funds that stops them from saving early, but rather the mismanagement of those funds. Saving for retirement will not have to be a drastic lifestyle change and burden waiting for you later in life if you always budget for that within your lifestyle now.

This does not mean that it is ever too late to start saving for retirement. However, to act like the best option for saving is to wait five or ten years before retirement is not good advice. While this may work for some, many will not be able to scrape together enough funds or change their spending habits dramatically enough to make up for all the lost time and savings they could have had. That leaves many Americans unprepared and unable to retire.