Facts You Did Not Know   * Americans spend 13-20 years in retirement.   * Social security offers on average $16,320 per year, only 30-40% income in comparison to a typical salary.   * Medicare does not cover long-term medical or assisted living costs (Kurt).   * 1/3 of households spend all their earnings, not putting away for retirement.   * 4 out of 10 Americans are reaching retirement age with limited or no savings (Dews). The facts on this slide are just some of the worrisome statistics about retirement in the United States. For many people, retirement is a time to dedicate to travel and activities they always wanted. Others want to lead a peaceful, healthy life. However, it can quickly become a period of worry and stress. Many Americans do not realize the significant loss of income that comes with retirement and how a lack of preparation can be detrimental. Significance   * Credible resources with up-to-date information.   * Inadequate preparation leads to poverty.   * The process of investing for retirement is long-term and complex.   * Financial and legal challenges require understanding the system.   * Strategies to begin your path to retirement. A variety of credible resources and platforms were analyzed to compile the most accurate and up-to-date information on the topic of investing for retirement. Retirement funding consists of using a variety of resources to ensure income is diversified. The complex process requires understanding, and specific steps are developed to ensure you are on track with your savings. This presentation will educate about the strategies that can be taken to start investing for retirement to guarantee a stable future. I will discuss strategies for determining the amount that needs to be saved, which resources to use, and financial details of asset allocation. What to Consider?   * Consider living costs – desirable 80% of the preretirement budget.   * Lifespan – modern medicine can prolong retirement for as long as 30 years.   * Savings generating a return – average net returns of 6-10% (O’Hara).   * Time horizon – how much time left to begin saving.   * Risk tolerance – investment may bring greater returns with higher potential risks. Retirement investment is based on using this combination of factors to determine the best plan for an individual. Everything comes down to simple mathematics of balancing income and expenses. Therefore, the steps taken to ensure a stable retirement depends on current saving and investment strategies match lifestyle choices in the future. However, retirees usually do not require 100% of preretirement income since many expenses are reduced, including the need to save for major purchases and income tax. Retirement Account   * Notable gap between generations in retirement account ownership (only 46% participation in 25-34 age gap).   * Retirement accounts are concentrated in the upper quartiles of the income distribution (Rhee and Boivie).   * Most retirement accounts offer tax benefits.   * Households with retirement accounts are able to save more.   * Savings last longer and cause less stress for families since everything is planned. Unfortunately, trends suggest a much lower prevalence of retirement accounts in new generations. That is understandable since a retirement acco