1. Make retirement plans a priority when you consider a job. Consider sacrificing some current salary in return for a good retirement plan and seek out employers who will match part, or all, of your savings in a contributory plan.
  2. Work as long as you can at the highest salary you can. The longer you work, the more you can sock away for retirement. And the older you are when you retire, the fewer years of retirement you will have to fund.
  3. Higher Social Security benefits are an extra bonus for those years of hard work. If you pay into Social Security for at least ten years you won't have to pay monthly fees for Medicare hospital insurance when you retire.
  4. Put money away for retirement on a regular basis. Just $10 to $20 a week can add up, especially if you start young. For example, $20 a week invested in growth mutual funds from age 40 to age 65 will build to a nest egg of $92,000. Start at age 25 and it will grow to nearly $370,000.
  5. Learn about your finances. Don't just sign tax returns, be sure you understand them. Get assistance from your tax preparer if you need explanations.
  6. Identify your financial assets and debts and begin to save for your future by paying down debt and budgeting.

So resist the urge to ignore those retirement and saving plans. Yeah, they can be confusing and overwhelming, but a few right moves now will leave you set for the rest of your life. Ask questions, find experts and become informed because, really, that’s what being independent’s all about.

This article is an excerpt from the seminar "Your Next Fifty Years" by Ginita Wall and Candace Bahr, financial adviser. Reprinted with permission from the Women's Institute for Financial Education http://www.Wife.org and http://www.MoneyClubs.com. Founded in 1988, WIFE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial education for women. Copyright 2006.