Human beings, it is said, are distinguished from other species by our ability
to think ahead and to plan ahead. That may be true. It is also true, though,
that most of us have great trouble thinking about the long term and preparing
for it. We're too caught up in the daily "thick of thin things." In this
way we carry with us the immediacy of our animal cousins (no slur against
the in-laws intended). Heck, it's difficult enough to plan something just
six months ahead, like a summer vacation. How on earth are we supposed to
be able to think about something in the distant future -- like retirement?
Thinking in advance, though, and acting on those thoughts, are keys to being
ready for the future when it turns inexorably into the present. The younger
you are, the more distant is retirement -- and the more power you have at
your fingertips in the form of compound returns over time. It's a paradox
that you can work to your advantage.
In this collection we draw on the expertise of David Braze
(TMF Pixy), a specialist in retirement
planning, to help us answer the important questions. How much will I need
for my retirement in order to live comfortably? What are my goals? When should
I start? What should I do? How much can I count on from Social Security?
What costs might I run into once I've actually retired?
These are the questions that we all need to ask; questions that we often
wait too long to ask; questions that surface dimly on occasion, in a remote
and dusty corner of the mind, a mind that is otherwise occupied with this
minute's conversation, today's project, tonight's movie, and tomorrow's meeting.
We place humbly at your feet these 13
Steps, along with a bevy of tools for running the numbers, so that you
may see in stark and pixilated black-and-white the realities that will make
your golden years truly golden.
Make them golden, Foolishly.
Questions about your plan? Talk with Fools on the
Retirement
message board.
See Also