If you’re reading this article, you’re probably further along than most people. You’re thinking about your finances; you’re doing some reading and research. This is a good thing.

Wealth management software used to be the domain of professionals only. Now, individuals can get their hands on web sites and software as powerful as wealth management professionals use.

When looking at income-generating investments, it’s tempting to just pile into the big dividend payers. You might think you have done your homework by looking at a company’s most recent 10-year history of dividend payments and reviewing its history of returning capital to shareholders.

People approach retirement planning in a number of ways. Sometimes a retirement plan starts with a single, high-level goal. "I want to retire with $1 million," for example, or (and this is a better way of thinking about it), "I want to retire with enough money invested that will generate $75,000 a year."

How much money should you have in your 401(k)? It's a tough question.