From a recent Bloomberg article (my emphasis in bold):

While both men and women face big retirement-savings challenges, the hurdle is higher for many women. To have a decent standard of living in old age, women, who earn on average 78 cents to a man's dollar, need to save $126 for every $100 men do...

I saw the graphic below recently and thought it may help explain why a lot of experts feel we are heading towards a retirement crisis. More people spend 2+ hours trying to make a decision that results in immediate gratification (i.e. where to eat dinner or buying the latest electronic device) than planning a retirement investment...

Let’s be frank – nobody likes to think about the end of their life. It’s unpleasant and can put you in a real downer of a mood. This is probably why estate planning is the financial planning topic I’m least asked about. But just like your retirement and investments, estate planning also needs forethought and management when taking a comprehensive look at your personal finances...

An interesting tidbit I came across recently – as a recent study by the American Psychological Association shows, those who work past retirement age suffer 17% fewer major diseases and less physical decline than those who quit working and start taking life easy...