How do you know "who to trust with advise on retirement and investments"? Everyone wants refferal money?

I'd love to stop working at 62, but what if there is not enough?

You don't work for free do you? Find a professional that you pay for advice instead of product purchase. Of course fee only planners usually don't work with little investors. Typically they have $50-100K minimums.

But...you can pay most an hourly rate (and then it doesn't matter how much money you have). You can find good planners via these websites:

http://www.fpanet.org (members are certified planners)
http://www.napfa.org (the association for fee only planners)

Vanguard and T. Rowe Price offer great investment products but the calculators and articles on their website are great for beginners, but do not replace the detailed and personal assistance of a good financial planner.

There are free calculators all over the net that you can use to estimate how much and how long your savings will last, but if you don't know how to make accurate assumptions, those numbers will be worthless.

Keep in mind that when you retire early, your social security is lower and you may have to spend hundreds or thousands each month on medical insurance and uninsured expenses.

Also HOW you save your money (what types of accounts or insurance policies) is as important as the investments because the type of account impacts taxes and some accounts have minimum required distributions.

It is a complex situation, but one you are likely to mess up without good help and a plan to get there. Both of the above links will get you to good, qualified help. There are a lot of things a solid planner can do to maximize your cash flow at retirement while keeping both income taxes and eventual estate taxes at a minimum.

Interview several before giving anyone any cash. An initial consultation should be free (a plan is not free). Ask friends for recommendations but trust your own instincts.

You can also purchase a good book on financial planning. It does not replace the advice of a good pro, but it makes you an educated consumer who can be involved and ask the right questions to ease your mind.

not sure of your age but if you are 50 yrs old, join AARP. I have gotten a lot of good advice from there mag and services. ALL FREE

There are many companies out there, but I have been very fortunate with T. Rowe Price.

Vanguard has a retirement planning service on the web site. They are a good, lowcost, no load company. They are committed to serve the clients best interests. There are others but none so large with such a complete range of services. Amercian Century and T. Rowe Price are both low cost providers too.

Try John R Culligan
Vice President-Investments
Financial Consultant Phone 1-800-766-3770
E-mail jr culligan@rssmb.com

Saloman Smith Barney
Member of citigroup