Millennials, are you saving enough for retirement? If not, here’s how to get started.

Oct. 25--If you're a millenial, you might want to start saving for retirement -- now. TIAA's new data on North Carolina indicates that many millenials are not saving for retirement, and those that are, are not saving enough.

TIAA, a financial planning and consulting company, found that "69 percent of millennials are saving 10 percent or less of their income, even though experts recommend people save between 10 to 15 percent."

It's not that millennials aren't saving. In fact, they have an "inclination towards savings that we haven't seen in quite awhile," said Greg McBride chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. "Previous generations were spend first ask questions later; we don't see that same behavior from millennials. We see them recognizing the importance of saving and prioritizing in a way that it actually gets done."

But he added, "The focus is on emergency savings more than retirement savings; and the money that is invested in retirement is invested way too conservatively." McBride said millennials tend to save in savings accounts which have lower interest rates and don't keep pace with inflation.

That's a particular concern because this age group has a higher life expectancy than any previous generation. "They're gonna need a bigger nest egg then any one's had before," McBride said.

Molly McCormack, director of the individual advisory service group at TIAA in North Carolina, said these saving patterns appear to be caused by millennials' unique experience of the finance world. Not only did this generation come of age during the Great Recession, McCormack said, but they are entering the work force with more debt than many previous generations because of college costs. "Somebody who graduated in the class of 2016 owes about $37,000," McCormack said.

Kelly Lannan, director of women and young investors at Fidelity, offers some practical advice:

-- After building up the emergency fund, take advantage of a 401(k), and contribute up to the company match. This is "free money," Lannan said. "That is actually their employer helping them out and helping them invest in their future."

-- Learn more about finance. Employers often have people in their human resource departments who can help cut through the financial jargon or they can provide seminars from all employees. Your bank may also offer advice for free.

-- Take advantage of compounding. Some extra money can turn into very large amounts over decades long periods. "When you get a raise, contribute even more to your 401(k)," Lannan said. "Even a little more can mean a lot when you look at compounding."

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