Retirement

When planning your retirement, would it help you to see what portions of your savings and investments you might want to devote to international stocks, small-cap and large-cap domestic stocks, or bonds and bills?

Congratulations -- you're a stock market genius! During a lifetime of smart investments, you scrimped and saved your way to a portfolio worth more than $1 million.

In the best-case scenario, your employer offers a generous match for your 401(k) savings, and you have plenty of money left each month to fill up your IRA. You're also fabulously tanned, 20 pounds lighter, and have more hair.

Are recent losses in the stock market keeping you awake at night? Are you wondering what you can do to defend your retirement portfolio? The good news is that there are things you can do to protect your investments from falling prices. But keep in mind that while Wall Street has a slew of products designed to appeal to stock investors who've gotten burned, many of them carry a high price tag.

Every Fool knows the importance of saving for retirement. But one massive, mind-boggling question can scare away even the most well-intentioned investor: How much cold, hard cash will you actually need to fully fund your golden years?

If you plan to retire -- and who doesn't? -- you need to amass a significant nest egg. These days, not even being a millionaire can guarantee you a comfortable retirement. If you have significant debt, that guarantee is even further away. Every dollar you spend paying back debts, whether it goes to principal or to interest, is a dollar you can't put away for your retirement. Instead of earning money for you, that dollar is earning money for the bank.

I'd love to write an article one day reporting nothing but good news about Americans and how well they're saving for retirement. This isn't that day. Our friends at the American Savings Education Council recently released survey results that offer reasons to both cheer and despair.

Many people believe that if you want to retire early, retirement accounts like IRAs and 401(k) plans are off-limits. But a complicated provision of the tax laws allows early retirees to use their retirement savings without paying harsh penalties.

A recession is coming! Get out of the market! Buy gold! Buy defensive stocks like Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A), Altria (NYSE: MO), and Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT)! Hide under the bed! Quick!

Plummeting markets will make even the calmest investors feel nervous about their portfolios. Even more important than your current account balance, however, is whether you'll be able to protect yourself from the risks that face every retirement investor.