401K

With six months of earning, saving, and spending under your belt, you've got plenty of data to project how 2012 is going to play out. So let's lift the hood on your finances and give everything a good once over.

The average Gen Xer is on track to face $1,700 a month income gap in retirement. The average baby boomers will fall a whopping $2,100 a month short. Those may sound like insurmountable numbers, but don't throw in the towel yet.

Here's a Mother's Day downer: On average, women have nearly $41,000 less socked away for retirement than men -- but they're likely to need more. But these three things can help get you on track, no matter what your income is.

Most Americans aren't saving anywhere near enough money to live out their golden years comfortably. Odd are, you're one of them. If so, here are a few ways you can realign your finances and plans with reality ... before it's too late.

Obviously, what you invest in can mean the difference between getting rich and losing your shirt. But where you place those investments can be even more important -- especially if you end up picking winners.

By Kimberly Lankford, Kiplinger If you have a refund check coming your way, consider using it to bolster your personal balance sheet. The average refund has been around $3,000 for the past two years. (Most people receive their refund within three weeks of filing their returns.) That's a nice...

Get ready to play the retirement game even more cautiously: The common wisdom that a 4% annual withdrawal rate is the safe way to avoid outliving your money is increasingly coming under fire. In fact, it may well become a thing of the past.

If tax rates rise -- and experts say they will -- a way to grow your money tax-free starts looking mighty good. Meet the Roth IRA.

It's more than just near-term economic challenges small business owners are struggling with: Many also aren't planning properly for their future. According to a recent survey, one-third of them have neither a pension nor retirement savings, and have no idea how they will retire.

Concerns about job security and piles of debt have left American workers more pessimistic about retirement than ever. And many should be concerned: About 60% report total savings and investments of under $25,000 (excluding the value of their home and defined benefit plans.)