Lots More Information

Related HowStuffWorks Articles

• How to Make a Million Dollars
• How Stocks and the Stock Market Work
• How 401(k) Plans Work
• How 529 Plans Work
• How the Lottery Works
• How Employee Compensation Works
• How Health Insurance Works

More Great Links

• Retirement Quick Check
• CNNMoney.com Retirement Planning
• MSN Money Retirement Planning

Sources

• Armour, Stephanie; Block, Sandra. USA Today. "Many Americans retire years before they want to." 26 July 2006.
  http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/
  retirement/2006-07-09-retire-early_x.htm.
• Bonos, Lisa. The Washington Post. "Retirees Look Abroad, Hoping the Grass Might be Greener." 12 September 2007.
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/
  content/article/2007/09/10/AR2007091001813.html.
• Franklin, Mary Beth. Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "Consider an Annuity." October 2006.
  http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2006/10/retire5.html
• Franklin, Mary Beth. Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "Do a Dry Run." October 2006.
  http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2006/10/retire3.html
• Franklin, Mary Beth. Kiplinger's Personal Finance. "Extreme Early Retirement." October 2006.
  http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2006/10/retire8.html
• Hamm, Trent. MSN Money. "Retire at 40: Here's How."
  http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/
  RetirementandWills/RetireEarly/RetireAt40HeresHow.aspx
• Harper, Philipp. MSN Money. "Is retiring early too risky?" http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/
  RetirementandWills/RetireEarly/IsRetiringEarlyTooRisky.aspx
• Internal Revenue Service. "Internal Revenue Bulletin." 21 October 2002. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-irbs/irb02-42.pdf.
• Korczyk, Sophie. AARP. "Is Early Retirement Ending?" October 2004
  http://www.aarp.org/research/work/retirement/
  in_brief_is_early_retirement_ending.html.
• Latus Musick, Janina. MSN Money. "6 keys to a great early retirement." http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/
  RetirementandWills/RetireEarly/6keysTo
  AGreatEarlyRetirement.aspx.
• Latus Musick, Janina. MSN Money. "Insurance is a must if you're retiring early."
  http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/
  RetirementandWills/RetireEarly/InsuranceIs
  AMustIfYoureRetiringEarly.aspx
• Pew Research Center. "Working After Retirement: The Gap Between Expectations and Reality." 21 September 2006.
  http://pewresearch.org/pubs/320/working-after-
  retirement-the-gap-between-expectations-and-reality.
• Sahadi, Jeanne. CNN Money.com. "About to retire? It's all about the 'safe money.' " 8 August 2007.
  http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/07/pf/retirement
  /about_to_retire/index.htm?postversion=2007080806.
• Sahadi, Jeanne. CNN Money.com. "Retirement at risk: Who's falling short?" 31 July 2007.
  http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/30/pf/retirement
  /crr_ebri_research/index.htm?postversion=2007073109.
• Social Security Administration. "Retirement Benefits."
  http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10035.html.
• Social Security Administration. "Social Security Benefit Amounts." http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/Benefits.html.
• Updegrave, Walter. Money Magazine. "Investing for early retirement." 3 January 2008.
  http://money.cnn.com/2007/12/31/pf/
  expert/expert.moneymag/index.htm?
  postversion=2008010203.