For a lot of people who are newly retired or nearing retirement age, one of their biggest financial regrets is that they didn’t focus on saving for their golden years. A Consumer Reports survey shows that only 28% of investors age 55 or older are highly satisfied with the way they’ve saved for retirement.

Topping their list of regrets is that they didn’t start saving earlier. According to the survey, those who got an early start have a net worth averaging $1.1 million. Those who began saving in their 40s or 50s lag behind by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

What, if any, lessons can you learn from folks who’ve already traveled the same path you are? Clearly, the first lesson is to start as soon as possible. And even if you’re too old to get an early start, start as soon as possible!

While retirement saving can seem complicated, getting started is actually pretty simple. Here’s our easy five-step plan that will get you going on retirement now, so you don’t have to worry about sharing the same regrets as today’s retirees.

1. Invest 15% for Retirement

Your first step is to carve out 15% of your income just for retirement investing. Why 15%? It’s enough to allow you to reach your retirement savings goals, but not too much to keep you from enjoying your income today. Your 15% is based on your gross income and does not include any matching funds you receive through your employer’s retirement plan.

It’s okay to work your way up to that 15% goal—not everyone can make such a large budget adjustment overnight. But don’t drag it out forever. The sooner you’re investing 15%, the more confident you can be about having a secure retirement!

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