6 retirement tips financial planners give wealthy clients that anyone can use

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• Especially in uncertain financial times, it's important that you have a solid plan for retirement.
• Saving gets harder over time; your money is more valuable if you start saving it in your 20s.
• As you approach retirement, remember that the maximum amount you can save goes up.

It's not news to any American worker that you should be saving for retirement. With rising costs for healthcare and living expenses and the future of Social Security uncertain, we know retirement savings should be a priority.

But many working-class and low-income workers don't even know where to begin.

Higher earners often have the benefit of hiring investment advisors and wealth managers to guide their long-term savings plans. Those of us with less disposable income might not have that luxury.

With that in mind, it's worth knowing what financial advisors are telling their wealthy clients about retirement — and how you can apply it to any income.

1. Start early — no, really

The No. 1 piece of advice advisors shared was to start saving early. Experts generally recommend you start saving in your 20s, even when it might not feel like you have money to spare.

Author and CFP Mary Clements Evans recommends workers in their 20s ideally save between 10% and 12% of their income toward retirement. Even if you can't spare that much, she stressed that saving early can pay off in the future.

"Saving for the first 10 years and not touching it gets you a bigger nest egg than waiting 10 years and saving for the next 30 years," said Evans. "The time value of money is magical."

2. Saving gets harder as you age

Waiting until you're older to start saving doesn't necessarily reduce the pressure. Evans pointed out you'll have to save more per month, maybe even a higher percentage of your paycheck.

Bobbi Rebell, a CFP and personal finance expert at BadCredit.org, added you might not have as much financial flexibility as you expect in your later years.

"What [young people] often forget is that very often, as they move into their 30s, they have dependents and other financial stakeholders," Rebell said. "It's in their 20s that they often have the greatest flexibility in terms of deciding how to prioritize their money."

3. Don't let lifestyle creep eat your savings

Evans acknowledged that saving the recommended amount can be "very hard" when you're living paycheck to paycheck. If you can't do that yet, she said income increases are a good opportunity for savings.

"Every time you get an increase in salary, put 50% of that into a retirement savings account," Evans said. "This way you get to enjoy and save for retirement."

When you earn more, "There will likely be social pressure to spend more," said Rebell. "A little lifestyle creep is OK, but be mindful of your own values and priorities and don't get caught up in trying to keep up."

4. Your 50s is time to play catch up

Most experts recommended maxing out your retirement contributions by your 50s, in your 40s if possible.

Once you reach age 50, however, the IRS allows "catch-up" contributions, so you can contribute a greater amount to your 401(k) and IRA. That's a way to benefit from higher earnings later in your career in case you weren't able to save enough when you were younger.

Rebell said that your 50s is also a time to start thinking about not only how much you're saving but also where the money is invested.

"Start thinking about your asset allocation and being thoughtful and intentional about how much risk you are taking with the financial assets you have built up," she said.

5. You can't count on working forever

Many working-class folks who can't fathom saving for retirement believe they'll just have to work their entire lives to make ends meet.

That might be your reality, but if you can help it, don't make "working forever" your default retirement plan.

"We don't always get to choose our retirement date," said Rebell. "Sometimes, we become involuntarily unemployed. Sometimes a health issue means we have to stop working. People sometimes have to quit their job to care for a loved one. Life happens."

Retirement savings — however much or little you have — can provide a cushion in case you can't work the way you want to.

6. Delay Social Security as long as you can

"The lower your income, the greater impact that Social Security has," said Evans.

If you struggle to save now, Social Security benefits could make up a significant portion of your income in retirement. You'll be eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits starting at age 62, but your monthly benefit amount increases the longer you wait to claim it up until age 70.

"If your check at age 62 would be $1,400 a month, if you wait until age 67 it would be $1,750," said Evans. "From age 67 to age 70, the amount increases by 8% a year. Then your check would be $2,170."

If you can wait those extra eight years before claiming benefits, she said, "The difference between $1,400 a month and $2,170 a month is a game changer."