KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE)- Do know when it is time for you to retire? Tom Brady is retiring, again. This time at 45 years old. That’s two decades younger than the average Tennessee retiree.

However, there are several steps you can take to get on the right track to retirement.

Alan Kirby is a certified tax specialist and certified estate & trust specialist with RidgeBrooke Tax and Retirement Planning.

“I really enjoy helping people find that peace because a lot of people are approaching retirement with a lot of fear,” he said.

RidgeBrooke Tax and Retirement Planning have offices in Nashville, Cookeville, and in Knoxville.

“The average in Tennessee is 64 and unfortunately, the average retirement income in Tennessee is about $55,000,” Kirby said. “That puts us in the bottom 10 in the nation amongst other states.”

He says it’s hard to compare an NFL superstar’s retirement to your average Tennessean but there are some similarities in how you can start planning for the future.

“The key is, what Tom Brady has in common with all the people around us, and the people listening to this would be that what he wants in his retirement plan is, is choice,” Kirby said. “Because regardless of what those choices are, if you build a good plan that offers you lots of choices that’s a successful plan.”

Kirby said there isn’t one set retirement plan that everyone should follow.

However, the earlier you start, the smaller that percentage of savings can be.

“The ideal age is as soon as they start working,” he said. “That’s why employer plans have been promoted so heavily right now. Some of the new laws that were just passed, their purpose is to promote people enrolling in 401k plans.”

He said that the higher your income level is, the higher you’re probably spending, and the smaller amount social security is going to help you maintain the lifestyle you want even after retirement,

“If you think about it right now, if you work a Monday through Friday job, what day of the week do you spend the most money? Probably Saturday. Well, what happens when you have seven Saturdays? You spend more money.”

Kirby said to start saving now even if it’s a small amount and pick a plan that’s right for you and your future.

“The number one key is, you put together the plan, you envision what that retirement is going to look like, put together a cash flow plan because that’s how we envision retirement when we think about it.”

Kirby said one plan doesn’t necessarily fit all however categorically 401k’s and Roth plans are very helpful when it comes to retirement.

He also reminds his clients to pay attention to tax rates and plan for tax increases when planning their retirement budget.

If you would like to learn more about Kirby and RidgeBrooke Tax and Retirement Planning you can click here.