Money money money money, money

I haven’t done my taxes yet, which are due in mid-April.  Another bureaucratic nonsense that can only happen in America – see also the healthcare system – where every single person has to file their own year-end taxes, and where a very small number of companies (particularly tax-preparation companies) make some very tidy profits.  And where the 1%, like President Trump, save on paying much tax by employing tax experts to find and exploit all kinds of obscure loopholes and workarounds.  His tax returns, that we will probably never see, would probably be very revealing.  In comparison, I have been looking at my meagre money and assets, and doing my bit to try to save on some taxes e.g. by making sure I maximize my IRA contributions – that stands for Individual Retirement Account and nothing to do with the Irish Republican Army – which are designed “to help you save for retirement and offer many tax advantages”.  These are retirement saving accounts on top of my 401k – which is a more typical work pension that I contribute a percentage to in every pay check I get.  But in all honesty I haven’t given much thought to proper retirement planning yet – I’ve still got another 25 years of employment to look forward to, if I last that long, so it still seems like a long way away – but I feel like I’m making the right steps to be in good shape should I ever reach retirement age without crippling healthcare expenses.  But I don’t think I invest my normal savings very well – too much tied up in my company’s stock through my Employee’s Share Purchase Plan, too much money invested in low interest accounts rather than something with a potentially much higher yield, and I haven’t even invested in buying my first house yet.  But, bottom line, I’ve got enough to live on without having to work for some time if need be – should that ever happen voluntarily or involuntarily – and that makes me happy.  I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the option of taking a sabbatical from work and doing some of those bucket list things whilst I’m still in relatively good health – something that immensely worries me won’t be the case 25 years in the future.  But what also worries me is the potential for crippling healthcare expenses when I’m older – so I do need to keep a not insignificant amount aside.  As much as it may be flawed, be grateful that you have a universal healthcare system in the UK.