Planning for Retirement

Planning for retirement involves figuring out how much money will you need, taking steps to build a nest egg to supplement Social Security and pensions and budgeting for spending during retirement. These web sites are good planning guides:

• Ultimate Retirement Guide from CNN/Money
• Retirement articles and information from Yahoo! Finance
• Retirement Planning from MyMoney.gov, the web site of the U.S. Financial Literacy & Education Commission

The Retirement Readiness Rating quiz helps you identify areas of your retirement plan that have been neglected or overlooked.

This Self Assessment transition questionnaire goes beyond financial planning to take into account the effects of social support, health and other factors on successful retirement.

Early Retirement

Can't wait to hit the beach, the road, the links? Find out if you can retire early without hitting the wall.

Six Keys to a Great Early Retirement from MSN Money gives a good overview of what you need to consider when retiring before age 65.

Your Social Security benefit will be affected by early retirement. If you were born after 1937, early retirement has a different definition.

Full Retirement Age charts Social Security Retirement benefits by retirement age.   

Social Security Benefit Considerations in Early Retirement from the Financial Planning Association explains the implications of early retirement.