Did you know that 10,000 people are celebrating their 65^th birthday in the United States today? In fact, 10,000 people celebrate their 65^th birthday every day in the US. Studies have shown that the number one worry for people on their 65^th birthday is money. If they feel like they don’t have enough money to retire comfortably, they have to continue working well into their 70s. Do you want this to be you? Below financial expert, Peter Culver, provides advice on steps to take to ensure that when you blow out your candles on your 65^th birthday, you are ready to tackle retirement comfortably.

Know What You’re Spending – It sounds like simple advice, but Peter Culver has noticed that most people don’t keep track of their daily expenses. Spend a month notating every purchase made and every bill paid. Take a moment to reflect on the differences between needs and wants. Little tweaks to your daily habits could end up saving hundreds or even thousands year over year.

How Much Do You Need? – Now that you know where your paycheck is going, consider how much money you will need to replace that paycheck after retirement. Look over the money you should be receiving from social security and your pension plan. Do you have any money you could earn outside of a full-time job? Consider part-time projects that could provide fulfillment and income. Remember when calculating that you can only spend after-tax dollars. A financial planter like Peter Culver would be able to help you sort out those statistics.

Really Analyze Your Investments – See what type of money is being generated by your 401k plan, IRAs and personal investments. Now is the time to make changes. If you feel like you aren’t making enough money through these plans, consider getting more involved in the stock market or switching your investments.

The problem that most people have with retirement planning is that they don’t prioritize preparing until it’s too late. Every financial decision should be made with money for retirement as a driving factor. If you feel as if this is a burden that is just too great to handle on your own, take the time to find a financial planner that you can trust. There’s no doubt that you should be cognizant of every action being taken, but there’s no denying the time that can freed up and the stress that can be relieved with a third party handling important financial decisions.