Are You Ready to Retire as a Owner Operator?

Whether you are just getting started or you have been driving a truck for twenty or thirty years, you should be thinking about your retirement. This is especially true if you are an owner operator. You don’t have an employer who is helping to keep you in line and ready to retire. 

So, how can you tell if you are ready to retire (or if you have some work that you need to do in the coming years)? 

You need to get out of debt. There is almost no way to retire if you are dealing with high interest debt. If you have any loans or credit cards, you need to make sure that they are paid off before you retire (since you won’t have as much money to live on).

It is also a good idea to get your home paid off. Since your mortgage is probably your biggest expense, this can really help you get ahead. You should also aim to have your truck paid off too. By paying everything off, you may have to pay one or two thousand dollars less a month. 

You also need to make sure that you are putting money into a retirement fund NOW so that you don’t have to worry about money in the future. Since your employer isn’t going to start a retirement fund for you, it is up to you to do it for yourself. There are many different plans, such as a 401(k), Traditional IRA, or a Roth IRA. Some people also choose to invest their money into real estate or even other trucks. 

The big thing is that you are putting money regularly into your retirement fund, no matter what. Put it into your budget if you have to. 

You also should work on putting money into your savings account. This will allow you to reach for your savings, instead of credit cards, if something happens. Instead of putting your truck repairs on your credit card, you will have money in your savings to cover it. 

This can also be used this way in the future. When you retire, you are going to want plenty of money in your savings so that you aren’t strapped for cash when you are retired. 

Take care of your health. Your health needs will also make or break your retirement. If you have health problems, you could end up spending thousands of dollars a month on medications and doctor’s visits. For this reason, you need to take care of yourself now. Catch any problems early, before they become worse (and cost you even more money). You should always have health insurance to help combat these extra expenses. 

Get life insurance now before it is too late. The earlier that you get life insurance, the cheaper it will be. If you wait until you are ready to retire, you may not be eligible for as many plans (or you will pay a lot more to get one). This will help your family if something happens to you. They may need this extra money to help them through this difficult time. 

Whether you want to drive for another ten years (or are looking to get out now), you need to be ready to retire. You don’t want to find yourself looking for a part-time job in order to make ends meet. 

So, you need to get out of debt, and this includes your home and truck. You also need to start saving with a retirement fund and put some into your savings at the same time. You want to have a few thousand dollars ready to use if you need it. You also need to take care of your health. This can be the most expensive part of retirement, so the better care you take of yourself now, the less you will spend in the future! Life insurance may also be a good thing to have. 

Contact us for all of your commercial truck or owner operator insurance needs. We are proud to serve Florida, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

David Ott

David Ott