Retirement Planning

Most Americans dream about retirement as a time when they can relax, travel, pursue hobbies. But the reality is that many Americans are not saving for retirement when the need to do so is greater than ever before. The good news is that whichever savings vehicles you choose—from 401 (k) plans to mutual funds to annuities—it’s never too early, or late, to begin preparing for your Golden Years.

Articles
401 (k) plans
	Be Careful About 401(k) Loans
	Know Your 401(k) Contribution Limits
	The Economics of Borrowing from Your 401(k)
	Why Is It Called a 401(k)
Health care issues
	Buying supplemental health insurance-Medigap
	Government benefits
	Health insurance in retirement
	Medicare
	Should you buy long-term care insurance
	Understanding long-term care insurance
Housing issues
	Housing options for older individuals
	Your home as a source of dollars in retirement
IRAs
	IRA Beneficiary Disclaimers
	Roth IRA Conversions in 2010 - Goodbye Income Limits
	Using Your IRA to Buy a Home
	When Choosing an IRA Beneficiary
Saving for retirement
	Annuities and retirement planning
	Borrowing or withdrawing money from your 401(k) plan
	Choosing a beneficiary for your IRA or 401(k)
	Closing a retirement income gap
	Deciding what to do with your 401(k) plan when you change jobs
	Estimating your retirement income needs
	Evaluating an early retirement offer
	Feed the Pig Weekly Savings Tip Archive
	Retirement planning--the basics
	Saving for retirement and a child's education at the same time
	Taking advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans
	Understanding defined benefit plans
	Understanding IRAs
	What to do after you've been automatically enrolled in your company's retirement plan
Social Security
	Reapplying for Social Security
	Social Security retirement benefits
	Understanding Social Security
Tools
401 (k) plans
	401(k) plans
	401(k) Savings Calculator
	401(k) Spend It or Save It Calculator
	403(b) Savings Calculator
	Should you save in a 401(k) or a Roth IRA?
	Solo 401(k) Illustration
Health care issues
	Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care
	Medicare figures at-a-glance
	Medicare Medigap and Medicaid
	Should you consider buying long-term care insurance (LTCI)?
IRAs
	457 Savings Calculator
	72T Calculator
	72T Distribution Impact
	Beneficiary Required Minimum Distributions
	Comparison of traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs
	IRA eligibility flowchart: 2003
	IRA eligibility flowchart: 2004
	Required Minimum Distributions
	Roth IRA Calculator
	Roth IRA Conversion
	Roth IRA future value calculator
	Roth IRA: how much can you contribute in 2003?
	Roth vs. Traditional IRA
	Traditional IRA Calculator
	Traditional IRA future value calculator
	Traditional IRA required minimum distribution illustrator
	Traditional IRA: how much can you contribute and deduct in 2003?
	Variable Annuity Calculator
Retirement planning basics
	Building an investment portfolio
	Consumer price index inflation calculator
	Growth of annual deposits calculator
	How taxation can affect your retirement funds
	Investing for retirement
	Life Expectancy Calculator
	Net Worth Calculator
	Net worth calculator
	Pension Plan Retirement Options
	Personal cash flow worksheet
	Retirement Income Calculator
	Retirement Pension Planner
	Retirement Planner
	Retirement Shortfall Calculator
	Saving for your retirement
	Savings Goals
	Savings, Taxes and Inflation
	What is your risk tolerance?
Social Security
	How earnings affect Social Security
	How important is Social Security?
	Social Security Benefits
	Social Security figures at-a-glance
	Sources of retirement income: filling the Social Security gap
FAQs
Employer-sponsored retirement plans
	Can Creditors Reach My 401(k)?
	Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA?
	Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?
	Does the federal government insure pension benefits?
	How can I plan for retirement if my employer doesn't offer retirement benefits?
	I teach at a school that has a 403(b) plan. Is this type of plan a good way to save for retirement?
	My company has a profit-sharing plan. How do these plans work?
	Should I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?
	Should I use my 401(k) to fund my child's college education?
	What are my options if I inherit an IRA or employer-sponsored plan?
	What does the term "qualified plan" mean?
	What is vesting?
Health care issues
	Can I deduct premiums paid for long-term care (LTC) insurance?
	How can I pay for nursing home care?
	How can I tell if a nursing home provides high-quality care?
	How do I enroll in Medicare?
	How does Medicare Advantage work?
	Should I buy long-term care insurance?
	What is long-term care insurance?
	What is Medigap?
Housing issues
	Im having a hard time selling my home. Should I take out a reverse mortgage
	Im retired now and own my home outright but I need money to live on. How can I use my home to raise
	My husband just died. Should I accept my daughter's offer to move in with her?
IRAs
	Can I avoid the 10 percent penalty tax for early withdrawals from a traditional IRA?
	Can I contribute to a Roth IRA?
	Can I roll a retirement plan distribution into an IRA?
	Can I set up a traditional IRA?
	Can I shift my tranditional IRA funds to a Roth IRA?
	Can I still have a traditional IRA if I contribute to my 401(k) plan at work?
	Can I take money from my IRA without any penalty?
	I need money--can I take funds from my IRA?
	It's January, and I forgot to contribute to my IRA. Is it too late?
	Should I invest in a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA?
	Should I withdraw money from my IRA to pay for my child's college tuition?
	What are my options if I inherit an IRA or employer-sponsored plan?
	What are required minimum distributions and how are they calculated?
	What are the rules for IRA contributions?
	What's a premature IRA distribution, and what happens if I make one?
Saving for retirement
	Ask the Experts - Can I change investments in my 529 plan account
	How aggressive should I be when I invest for retirement?
	How can I plan for retirement if my employer doesn't offer retirement benefits?
	How can we possibly save for retirement and our child's college education at the same time?
	How late is too late to start saving for retirement?
	How much money should I save for retirement?
	How should I structure my retirement portfolio?
	I think it's time to start planning for retirement. Where do I begin?
	Should I accept my employer's early retirement offer?
	What should I do if I determine that my income during retirement won't be enough to meet my retirement expenses?
Social Security
	Are my Social Security benefits subject to income tax?
	How can I get an estimate of my Social Security benefits?
	I'm getting remarried. How will this affect my Social Security benefits?
	Should I retire now at age 62 and collect Social Security benefits, or should I wait until age 65?
	What happens if I start collecting Social Security after age 65?
	When I retire how much will I receive from Social Security?
	Will my children receive money from Social Security when I die?

The 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy Web site offers general information for managing personal finances and does not recommend specific financial actions. For financial advice tailored to your situation, please contact an expert such as a CPA or a personal financial advisor.

How often do you stay within your monthly budget?
Always
Sometimes
Never
I don’t have a monthly budget
When trying to stay within a budget, in which categories do you most often overspend?
Food
Entertainment
Clothing
Utilities
If you've just managed to pay off your debt, what's the first thing you would do to celebrate?
Put your extra income into savings
Cut up additional credit cards
Eat a big dinner
Throw a "debt free" party