Numerous studies—both past and current—report a looming shortfall of retirement savings for American workers who are approaching their retirement years. Some people call this a retirement savings “crisis,” whereas others characterize it as a serious retirement planning challenge. MORE FROM FORBESIs There Really A "Retirement Crisis"?By Steve Vernon Regardless of whether you call it a crisis or a challenge, there are steps we can take to improve Americans’ financial resources for [...]

A simple mindset shift, more bicycle riding, and other small adjustments to your daily routine can move your retirement date years or even decades earlier, personal finance and lifestyle blogger Pete Adeney (a.k.a Mr. Money Mustache) explained to The Motley Fool in an interview three years ago. Since then, his frugal methods have continued to rise in popularity, and his ideas have morphed into foundational bricks as part of a growing movement [...]

How to boost your Social Security payments How much you earn and your age when you sign up play a big role in how much you will receive from Social Security. Workers who familiarize themselves with the Social Security rules will be better able to maximize their payments. Pay close attention to these aspects of the program when making Social Security decisions.

YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE to spend all the money in your 401(k) plan before you die. If that happens, your retirement savings will pass to the person you name as the beneficiary of the account. The information on your 401(k) beneficiary form typically supersedes what is written in your will, so it's important to keep this form up to date for all your retirement and investment accounts. 12 Documents to Prepare [...]

THE FINANCIAL transition into retirement can be daunting. A suddenly lower income often leads to lifestyle changes. These adjustments aren’t always easy, especially if you’ve landed in retirement without as large of a nest egg as you hoped to have. Even if you knew your budget would downsize, it can be tough to know just how to spend and where to cut back.

Retirement conjures as many worrisome thoughts as it does exciting ones, largely because it's such a big expense. It's not unreasonable to think you could need $1 million or more, and some people may even need $2 million to live comfortably during retirement. Saving that much is no easy task, and even if you do accomplish it, there's no way to be sure you have enough to last the rest [...]