ARA) - If you’ve delayed planning for retirement because it makes you feel a) old or b) financially inept, think again. With a little foresight, you could be out there enjoying life like other people — maybe even before you reach the so-called “retirement age.” Like many people in the prime of life, it’s not unusual to think of retirement as such a distant idea that you avoid saving for it until next week, next year, next job. After all, who’s got time to think about the “R” word? In reality, it’s never too late, or too early, to start planning for retirement.

More and more, however, retirement has come to mean what a person is can do. Choosing a second career. Traveling to see the world. Volunteering in the community. Taking on a new hobby. Taking care of grandchildren.

You don’t need to be a financial wizard to start thinking about early retirement,” says Randy Schuldt, vice president with IHateFinancialPlanning.com, a Web site devoted to the 75 percent of Americans who hate financial planning. “With some simple steps, you can take control of your financial future before it starts controlling your dreams.” To help better understand what’s involved in retirement planning, IHateFinancialPlanning.com has developed a 10-minute quiz — an early retirement calculator of sorts — that will help determine your state of readiness.

Pages: 1 2