海角大神

If you鈥檙e a decade or so from retirement, chances are you鈥檝e spent lots of time聽envisioning what life will be like聽once聽you stop working. If you haven鈥檛 done a lot of planning, perhaps you鈥檙e worried about whether you鈥檒l be financially prepared. Fortunately, a decade is plenty of time聽to alter聽your trajectory if necessary.

Ten years out is a good time聽to ramp up your聽, get rid of your debt and reconsider your portfolio, according to the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the largest fee-only financial advisor group in the U.S.

Here鈥檚 NAPFA鈥檚 list聽of the eight items you should address today to help get you ready for retirement in 10 years:

1. Be tax efficient with your investments.聽For example, you should defer as much of your salary as you can to your defined contribution plans.
2. Save to an emergency fund聽and stay aware of your company鈥檚 financial situation. Companies are prone to reorganizations and layoffs, and longtime聽workers can be vulnerable.
3. Brainstorm any big-ticket financial commitments聽for the next 10 years, such as聽taking care of聽an elderly parent, and consider how such expenditures聽might affect your ability to retire when you鈥檇 like.
4. Take a hard look at any major debts聽that you have and develop a 10-year plan to eliminate them.
5. Reallocate your portfolio聽based on your earnings timeline with a focus on performance, risk and expenses. Decide when,聽or whether, you should shift to a more conservative asset allocation.
6. Review what your tax obligations may be聽with your current investments and use tax-optimization strategies to boost your savings.
7. Review your estate documents聽to ensure the language is still accurate. For example, are the named trustees and beneficiaries still alive and capable?
8. Research when your stock-based compensation might expire聽and what stock awards you can retain after retirement.

With 10 years to work with, it鈥檚 not too late to save enough to fund a reasonable retirement. But聽without a smart plan in place, it might not be the retirement you imagined. If you need help tackling the items on this list, consider working with a professional. You can find fee-only planners聽.