This week was a full celebration of America’s workforce!

Labor Day kicked off the festivities on Monday, September 3, recognizing the social and economic accomplishments of American workers. At the same time, National Payroll Week (NPW), September 3 – 7, celebrated America’s employees and the payroll professionals who pay them. To top off the festivities, NPW’s Money Matters National Education Day (MMNED) on Thursday, September 6 focused on promoting financial literacy by teaching paycheck fundamentals to young adults. With our data showing almost one-fifth of all Americans nearing retirement are at the low end of the retirement spectrum, improving financial literacy early on is key to helping America’s workforce feel ready for their golden years.

Even with all the celebrations for America’s workforce, we must remember it is our job to help ensure they are ready for their next big thing: retirement. In fact, NPW’s slogan was, “America Works Because We’re Working for America.”

To continuously serve American workers, whether their retirement is 20 years away or two, it’s good to provide them with the resources they need, so they are not leaving their golden years to chance. Retirement could last decades, let’s help them research ways to grow and protect their nest egg for the long run.

More than one-third of workers who are unprepared for retirement say they don’t have access to traditional retirement plans or products. However, for these individuals, and those seeking more diversity, the impetus starts with oneself.

Here are three quick and easy ways for workers to start taking control of their retirement destinies:

1. Connect with a financial professional, like an insurance agent, who can provide qualified advice.
2. Utilize financial resources, such as online calculators and budgeting tools, to estimate retirement living expenses.
3. Research all available retirement savings options as a step to diversifying portfolios; this may mean exploring fixed indexed annuities (FIAs), which provide guaranteed income, principal protection from market volatility, and interest rate stability in retirement.

So, with that let’s cheers to America’s workforce!