The IRS increased the maximum retirement contribution limit as of January 1, from $17,500 to $18,000. Employees who are at least 50 years of age can contribute up to $6,000 extra to their retirement account as catch up contributions, also an increase of $500.

The new year can mean increased retirement savings, bringing great news to employees and others who are already maximizing their contributions, though just 12 percent of 401k participants were said to have hit that limit in 2013. If retirement is decades away, it can be difficult to get motivated to save, but it’s important to remember that the more you save now, the better of you’ll be in your later years – which tends to come sooner than most of us think. You won’t want to, or likely be able to, live on social security benefits alone.

Of course many people don’t have a retirement plan through their employer these days. If you do, be sure to take advantage of any guidance or even classes that may be offered through your employer to help you make the best investment choices.

For everyone else, as retirement planning can seem overwhelming, you may want to look for some professional assistance to help ensure a better future for yourself and your family. Hiring professional accounting services can help you maximize savings over the long term, making it more than worth the cost.

Utilizing professional accounting services is one of the best ways to create a retirement roadmap, by developing income strategies, planning for survivor ship needs and consolidating your assets.

Of course, finding the right firm to help may also seem like a daunting task. Not only does it require coming up with a list of good potential candidates, you’ll need to find out about their training and experience with financial planning as well as generating retirement income and other critical retirement planning decisions.

The good news is that by contacting Good Accountants, all of that work is done for you. Expert business consultants can assist you with finding the right professional accounting services for your needs with a nationwide registry of the most qualified candidates in your area at no cost to you.