S T E P 1 : L 0 0 K A H E A D<br > A generation ago， planning for retirement meant A retirement plan<br >little more than planning your funeral. People used to<br > like a patchwork<br >retire no sooner than age 65 and live to an average age<br >of 69. When they stopped working， they were already sewn from many 1<br >considered old. that together can<br > Today retirement planning means planning for the<br >financial needs of what could be 20， 30 or more years yOU sleep soundl~<br >after regular paychecks stop. The average man retiring knowing that your<br >today at age 65 can expect to reach 80; the average financial<br >woman lives to age 84. And， more and more Americans<br >are retiring before age 65. self-sufficiency is<br > Unfortunately， our financial thinking hasn t assured for the re，<br >caught up with the new reality of retirement: that mid-<br >dle-aged Americans--roughly those between the ages of your life.<br >