INTRODUCTION TO RETIREMENT PLANNING
Learn even more about this topic with the Encyclopedia of Personal Finance™

For many people, the popular dream of retirement as golden years of leisure and comfort has been overshadowed by financial difficulties. Our longer life spans mean longer reliance on a fixed income. And threats to the Social Security system may mean that it will be of little help to retirees in the future. To ensure that you have the resources you will need to have the kind of life you want after retirement, it is important that you plan carefully and act immediately to provide for your future income. In this tutorial, we will present the basics of retirement planning.

• The Importance of Retirement Planning
• DETERMINING YOUR RETIREMENT GOALS
• Step Two: Determine Your Resources
• PLANNING TO MEET YOUR RETIREMENT GOALS
• Get Started on Your Retirement Plan

Too many people put off planning for retirement until late in their employment years. Let's start by understanding why retirement planning is so important.