Okay, so you have worked a job (or jobs) for many years and now it is time to retire to enjoy some leisure with the family for the foreseeable future. Let’s also point out that you have been wise in saving your money for retirement, you have a retirement package from the company that you worked for, and you feel that you are "set". Well, maybe you’re not. Things these days are not the way that they were a couple generations ago. Back then you could feel secure that the company you labored for for twenty years would take care of you in retirement. Things were much more fair and honest back then. These days you can’t count on anything! If you want something to live on in retirement, you had better see to it yourself. There is no loyalty from companies these days; they’ll forget your name before you can get to your car when you leave their employ. With the economy lodged firmly in the toilet, thanks to the greed and corruption of the government, all of us will need a good deal more money and resources than we thought we would require many years ago when we made our overall plans. To help out with a way to get some more resources, here are a few suggestions.

1. You’re the boss when it comes to making decisions for your retirement. You really cannot count on anyone else (the company, accountants, lawyers, or your brother-in-law) to give you sound advice on how to live your life in retirement. None of them have your best interests in mind. In point of fact, you should have a plan in place well before you plan to retire, and that plan should be independent of the company who provides your paycheck. The old adage that states that you should never put all your eggs in one basket works well. For example, if your retirement plan is funded by the company that you work for, and that company should go out of business, you are out of luck. There is no way that you will be able to get your retirement package from a defunct company. There are plenty of examples that show that companies look to fire employees when they are approaching retirement so that the company doesn’t have to honor retirement agreements. In cases like that, you are out of a job, and out of whatever benefits that you thought you may have had. It is much better to build a retirement savings that is safe from any job change that might occur.

2. Get a side job. Depending upon how much time you have (weekends, evenings) you could get something to bring in a few extra bucks. In cases where the main job might fall apart, your side income then provides something that can pay the bills. You might even use the side job to fund the retirement account. Make it a rule to save all the second job money in the retirement account. This would give you assurance that your savings account will be funded every week and it will provide peace of mind in an emergency situation.

3. Use age fifty as a sign to revamp your retirement plans. When you reach this age sit down with pencil and paper and look at your situation. Do you have a good plan? Will it last until you retire and give you and your family enough money to live on? What ever your plan looks like, good, bad, or otherwise, make a decision to really save more in the next fifteen years (or at whatever age you want to retire). This is the time to cut back on trivial expenditures and to devote every penny to your retirement fund. If possible, have a few different places in which to save money. For example, you might have a savings account in a bank, an IRA, and a 401K with the company where you are employed. Be sure to keep all of these accounts separate from each other. Never combine them into one location or into one account. You are better off with three or four small amounts of money that come in each month than you are trying to get one big amount coming from a single source. This is your money we are talking about – take care of it so you don’t lose it when the next governmental calamity happens.