As it stands right now, there is just over $4 trillion in 401(k) plans. That's trillion with a capital "T." If you're working for a company, then you're probably one of the 67 million Americans who have a 401(k). It was included as one of those perk benefits that got you even more excited about the position.

The only problem is that your job probably didn't offer you any guidance beyond the lovely welcome packet you received during your orientation. I envision the conversation went a little something like this:

Your employer: "Congratulations, you now have a 401(k)."<

This year, it happened -- something many have been predicting for years: Taxes went up. And most likely, the hikes will just keep coming. There's no other way to pay off the country's debt and fund the ballooning entitlements due the baby boomers as they retire. The increases may not affect everyone, and those who earn more will pay more, but someone's gotta pay.

One way to hedge against higher tax rates is to contribute to a Roth retirement account. Your contributions aren't tax-deductible, but the withdrawals are tax-free once you turn 59 ½ and you've had a Roth account for at least five years. Who wouldn't want tax-free money if tax rates are just going higher?

Well, as attractive as the Roth can be, it's not always the best choice for everyone. You see, a contribution to a Roth means you are forgoing a contribution to a traditional retirement account, which might give you a tax-deduction today in exchange for paying taxes in retirement. So the choice is: Should you pay taxes today or in retirement? Continue reading...

If you never watch PBS' "Frontline," you're missing out on some of the best journalism on TV. I don't agree with every viewpoint they advocate, but each episode is thought-provoking and well done.

Recently, "Frontline" focused on "The Retirement Gamble," as they titled the piece. It can be summed up by this quote by Zvi Bodie, a professor of management at Boston University: "401(k) plans really place the burden on the individual participant to have an adequate retirement. And the vast majority of ordinary people don't know how to do that."

It's true. As if you don't have enough going on in your life, you have to become a part-time financial planner and investment manager. You need to figure out how much to save, how to invest your savings, and how to withdraw it in a way that makes it last forever or until you die, whichever comes first.

"I can't believe I'm going to be 30!" I told my Dad at the beginning of the year. As I had said the same thing when I turned 20, I knew he would reassure me that 30 actually wasn't that old.

"Nope, 30's old," he said.

Getting older doesn't bother me; I actually embrace it and all the experiences that come along with it.

Financial success can be due to making good decisions or avoiding big mistakes. In many cases, the biggest mistakes happen after good decisions, because the stakes have become higher.

As an example, let's consider the dilemma of Motley Fool reader Jim, who emailed us this question: "Did I make a substantial error when taking money out of my IRA?"

To help answer that question, Jim sent along some details:

After spending months working 60 or 70 hours per week, realizing that life is all too short, and preparing for our kids to come home, it's time for a new financial paradigm of my own: I'm semi-retiring.

I had always been perplexed by those who, say, retired early to travel to exotic locations. I like working and don't really like traveling, so my dreams involved some sort of fulfilling employment until I couldn't work anymore. I'm the life of the party, I know.

But then two or three years ago, I read about a guy who took a year off from full-time employment and I thought, what if?

Whether you can retire, and whether your money will last after you retire, starts with a very simple maxim: spend less than you have. However, once you start actually crunching some numbers, you find that the equation of retirement is actually quite complicated, with many variables that have different consequences. And that's a good thing, because it gives you options -- different levers you can pull to shore up your retirement security.

What are those levers, and which will have the biggest impact on your retirement? As with many things regarding financial planning, the answers depend partially on your unique circumstances. However, in this article we'll discuss the factors common to most retiree-wannabes, and quantify their results for two hypothetical workers - one 35-year-old and one 50-year-old -- using the "Am I saving enough? What can I change?" calculator found on Fool.com. That calculator produces results in terms of the number of months your retirement will be fully funded. As the tool estimates the impact each variable has on our test subjects, we will report the results in terms of additional years of a fully funded retirement, just so you don't have to divide the results by 12 in your head (not that we don't trust your math skills -- we just think it makes more sense to think in terms of years).

And now, let's lay out the starting point for each of our guinea pigs, whom we'll call Fergie and Madonna.

Hiring a financial advisor is difficult. Common questions include: How much do financial advisors make? How much of that is my hard-earned money? What's a reasonable fee?

Way back in the '90s -- a primitive time when a mobile phone could only be used to talk to another phone -- I was a broker (i.e., salesman) with Prudential Securities.

There are plenty of possible reasons you could want to leave the U.S. Perhaps you've always dreamed about making the sand and surf your front yard or longed to master a foreign tongue. Maybe you've been offered a job abroad. Maybe you feel your taxes are too high. I'm not here to question your motives, traveler. I'm just here to pass along what I know and help you get to your new home with your personal finances in order.

Settling Your Accounts

You're going to need a bank account when you first land on that once-foreign soil. Common expat advice is to set up an online savings account before leaving. Start out by keeping your money with a well-established and nationally available bank -- at least until you get a good sense of the banking landscape in your new home.

Be aware, though: If you're still a U.S. citizen while living abroad and ever wind up with more than $10,000 in your new accounts, you'll need to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts with the stateside IRS. You can be hit with serious penalties for neglecting to do this, so do the paperwork or renounce citizenship before you start making any serious money.

Note: Robert's post is particularly timely this week, which is National Financial Planning Week. Time to get your finances in order!

Let's get this out of the way up front: This post is going to be a downer. So — right now — I want you to think of something happy to do after you've read it.

Got it? Good. Because this article is all about risk — in other words, all the things that can go wrong with your financial plan. We'll talk about ways to mitigate these risks, but thinking through this stuff isn't going to be all rainbows and cupcakes (though we've attempted to lighten things up with photos from the hilarious website AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com). Still, it's better to know what's possible and take preemptive action rather than stick your head in the sand, especially because getting sand out of all your head holes can be very difficult. So let's take a deep breath and confront the potential grim side of reality.