Retirement is not just the time in life when you will be doing nothing. It is not even a period that you can choose to skip because you plan to keep working. Many individuals work full-time during their retirement years, but they still take advantage of tax and financial opportunities because of their age. Indeed, the wise and prudent adult views retirement as the last 3-4 decades of their life. It is a period where the statistical probability of injury, health problems, and illness is high, even for healthy and physically active adults. It is a period where the statistical probability of your wanting to access savings in order to provide for and help those whom you love most is practically certain.
Even if you continue working, it is also a period where those who you love will likely have days, weeks, or months where they will need you to take time off work to be there for them. Planning for retirement, even while you are in your college years, is the practice of a good and responsible family member and friend. But the road to retirement is a long one, and as with any journey, it helps to have a few key milestones along the way to help gauge your progress. While your individual retirement plan and goals will be unique to your income, family situation, and desired lifestyle, most Americans share a number of common retirement milestones.
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