Because the cost of living varies so much across the country, retirement savings will go a lot farther in some places than in others.

The savings picture for Americans continues to look grim. Although the average American household has over $175,000 saved, this figure is skewed by the very wealthy in this country. The median savings number is much important and it tells a different story.

Many who worked for the local or state government over the past few decades were certain they could retire in their 50s with a large pension and gold-plated health benefits. This is what they were promised. But it turns out, most of these promises were nothing but Ponzi schemes where the payments coming in would eventually not be enough to cover the payments going out.

Historically speaking, a flattening yield curve that turns into an inverted yield curve has been a pretty good predictor of recessions. Under normal circumstances, with an economy humming along the way ours has, long-term rates will be significantly higher than short-term ones, creating an upward sloping curve. The main idea here is that bond investors demand higher yields in the longer term to account for the risk of inflation, which would eat away at their returns the same way it eats away at your purchasing power.

Many Americans are playing roulette with their retirement as they don’t have enough saved for emergencies.

Let's fantasize a bit. Let's talk about lottery-winnings-type money. If you had $10 million to retire on, how long would it last? Why bother going through this exercise? Well, it's kind of fun, for one thing. And who knows, it might even actually apply to some people reading this.

Many of us know by now that the Social Security fund will not be able to pay out full benefits within 15 years. But there is news today that for the first time since 1982, the cost of the Social Security program will be greater than its inflows. This means that Social Security will need to use part of its $3 trillion fund in order to pay out benefits.

So what makes for an actually useful retirement planner? Let's start with your actual, live investment account data, updated regularly. A free calculator is at best a snapshot in time, whereas a program like ours will keep track of your investment accounts' performance and holdings over longer periods. If your mutual funds and ETFs change up their portfolio holdings, their anticipated performance (based on the asset classes they hold) will be automatically handled in WealthTrace.

There is more than one right way to generate the income you need in retirement. That may be obvious, but it's good news, so it's worth stating and spelling out. Each source of income has its pros and cons--and various mixes of asset classes that generate that income have their pros and cons as well.

Fees can be a killer to a retirement portfolio, and the problems compound over time. Many people investing in the company’s 401(k) plan have no idea what the fees are on the funds they invest in. They also have no idea if they are paying a 401(k) administrative fee.

In the first quarter of 2018 not one single company in the S&P 500 cut its dividend. This is the first time this has ever happened. At this rate, 2018 will post its seventh straight record in terms of dividend payouts for companies.

Be sure to get the free money at least--which is to say, what your employer matches. It might be a dollar-for-dollar match up to a certain amount, or something that vests over time.

We’re getting closer and closer to D-day for social security. In 2014 the Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that the reserves from the Social Security trust fund will run out in the year 2034.

Know what your fees are, and figure out what they cost you. A high expense ratio on a fund with a relatively low balance, while not great, may not affect your overall total returns all that much. That high expense ratio on investments with larger balances, though, will be problematic.

Dividend payers in the S&P 500 index had a pretty good year in terms of boosting their dividends. Over 20% of the companies in this index increased their dividends so far this year. Also of note, not a single company in the S&P 500 decreased their dividends, which has not happened since 2011.

Volatility in the stock market is back. Or maybe it’s just back this week. Who knows?

When it comes to planning specifically for a couple, though, there are a few calculations that can get tricky. But if you use the right software and have accurate inputs, you can get it right--and have a more accurate plan as a result.

When the question "How much do you need to retire" comes up, most people reflexively think of a target to hit. A million dollars, two million dollars. If I can just get to a certain amount, people think, I'll be set.

Sometimes, the main difference between a tenuous retirement plan and a solid one is the reliability of the cash flows you’re expecting in retirement.

We have modern ways of putting together and reviewing a retirement plan, but the inputs are the same as always. You can use WealthTrace to figure out how much you need to save to have a successful retirement plan.