RetirementPlanning

It's easy to assume that building up a luxurious retirement nest egg is something only the wealthy can do. Well, here are four tales of ordinary people that disprove that idea. (And you could easily do better than they did.)

A reader asks: "What's a realistic retirement age? How much longer will most of us have to work?" The answer depends on how successful you've been at saving, how cushy a lifestyle you want, and, of course, when you prefer to disengage.

There may be several good reasons to withdraw funds from your IRA before 59 1/2, but be careful, because the penalties and fees can add up, writes MoneyShow personal finance expert Terry Savage.

Recently, 90,000 former Ford workers got an interesting offer: They could trade monthly pension benefits for a lump sum of cash. Are such offers a good deal? That depends quite a lot on who you are.

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.

Chad Parks is on a six-week cross-country road trip to shoot a documentary about Americans' soured retirement dreams. And if there are any solutions to the looming crisis, he hopes his crew and their vintage VW Vanagon will find them.

The sandwich generation kept its retired parents and jobless adult children afloat through the down years. Now, a new study makes clear how much their retirement plans have paid the price.

Whatever your retirement dreams are, if you want to reach them, you need a plan. Otherwise, by the time you find yourself financially able to quit work, you may not be physically able to pursue your passions. The key is knowing how you'd spend your golden years if money were no object.

Recent government reports confirm that Social Security's finances are still falling apart, and apparently they're getting worse at an ever-faster pace. That shouldn't come as a surprise, and you need to prepare.

As Gen-Xers hit middle age and start thinking more seriously about retirement planning, the warnings they're hearing about how far behind they are may make their situation sound more dire than it is.