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It’s believed that retirement planning as we currently know it didn’t really exist until a few decades ago. Up to that point, people worked until 65 and then sailed into retirement on a pension plan.

Your 20s are often seen as a true coming of age when financial responsibility opens up the possibility of turning your dreams into reality. You’re settling into life after university, paying off debts, and starting to really define who you are as a person. But with bills, rent, keeping up social appearances, and other pressures, financial planning is often pushed to the side.

While winning the lottery is well outside mainstream reality for most people, it’s not uncommon to suddenly receive a large inheritance, a settlement, or perhaps a stroke of good luck. There are several stories of the major failings of people who’ve come into money only to see it disappear.

A will is the foundation of your estate plan and it is essential if your financial affairs are to be settled in accordance with your wishes. If you die without a will, or “intestate” as the law refers to it, essentially the state becomes your executor and your property will be distributed according to its laws.

Saving enough for retirement while carrying and paying off debts can be an uphill battle. For some pre-retirees, debt repayment is the primary focus over savings, leading them to delay or reduce their retirement lifestyle. But if you’ve been struggling to save, It’s never too late (or early) to take steps to encourage you to get back on track.

While it may be prudent to use a financial professional when you start your investment journey, there are a lot of things you can do before you ever speak to a financial professional. Investing, like everything else in life, has no guarantees, and even the hottest stock or the best tip may not always perform the way we would like.

If you have a child graduating from high school or college and entering the workforce, they may have the opportunity to open up a 401(k) through their new employer. In some cases, that employer will also offer matching contribution funds up to a certain percentage.

If you have read any literature on retirement planning or have received advice from a financial professional, chances are you were presented with the 70% rule, the one that suggests that retirees will need between 70 and 80% of their pre-retirement income in order to maintain their standard of living.

If you’ve had to reconsider or drastically change your spending and saving habits because of the current economic environment, you’re not alone. But there may be an opportunity in this current market to teach good financial habits to your teenagers; ones that they can carry into adulthood.