When employees understand why retirement planning is important and how your plan works, they’re much more likely to jump in and start contributing. Knowing how to start retirement planning — no matter where they are on the retirement readiness spectrum — can help them take the first steps toward a stronger financial future.
Ideally, employees should start contributing to their retirement accounts as soon as they’re eligible. The earlier an employee starts setting aside money for the future, the more time that money has to grow through compounding.
Saving any amount is good, but many employees aren’t saving enough to provide a comfortable retirement income. Employees often wonder how much they should save for retirement, and industry experts recommend saving 15% of their income (a combination of personal contributions and their employer’s contributions).
One way to encourage employees to increase their contributions is to offer employer-matching contributions up to a certain percentage of pay. If you, as an employer, already provide a match, you may want to review it and remind your employees of this employer-provided benefit.
Employees need to choose investments that align with their risk tolerance and time horizon, as well as their overall financial and retirement income goals. GuideStone® has many resources available on these topics, as it’s essential for your employees to understand their investment options, diversification, risk and the potential impact of inflation in light of their own financial circumstances. Increasing employee knowledge of these concepts can help them make better financial decisions and understand how to start retirement planning for their long-term security.
Equip employees who are close to retirement on how to transition from working full-time and accumulating savings to being retired and drawing from their retirement savings. To help employees determine when to retire, GuideStone provides information on assessing retirement income needs, retirement readiness, plan distribution options and their potential tax consequences, and when to start receiving Social Security benefits.
Helping employees understand how to start retirement planning and teaching these four basics can make a significant difference in their financial future.
GuideStone members can always reach a customer solutions specialist by calling 1-888-98-GUIDE (1-888-984-8433) Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, to discuss their retirement income strategy and options.
You can find free educational resources to help educate your employees on these concepts on GuideStoneRetirement.org and GuideStone.org/LearningLibrary.
This information should not be considered tax or legal advice. GuideStone stands ready to assist your organization as you work with your legal and tax advisors by providing resource information that you and your advisor may find beneficial.
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• Dec 17, 2025 