The Web site

for people who love money but hate to plan, IHateFinancialPlanning.com

takes a different approach to retirement planning.

"We do

encourage people to save as much money as they can, but we don't believe

there's a certain figure they need to obtain or a deadline for making

retirement happen," added Olson.

The key is

to plan for the sort of retirement you envision and set about making your

plan happen. "Retirees are approaching their futures with more creativity

than ever, and as more boomers retire, their solutions are only going

to get better," Olson said. "It won't be long before we quit

using phrases like 'early retirement' because they will no longer be relevant."

IHateFinancialPlanning.com

suggests the following ways retirees can enrich both their lives and their

financial circumstances throughout retirement, no matter what their age.

Plan ahead.

Think early and often about retirement and what it could mean for you.

If you plan to relocate, for example, find out which states impose an

income tax on residents and which do not. Then decide if that will affect

your dream for a destination. Do your dreams of world travel correspond

with your bank balance? Either way, there's still time to manage those

expectations. The more you plan now, the better your future can be.

Keep working.

Get a part-time job, open your dream business or become a consultant.

What would it take to turn your hobby into a moneymaker? These are income-producing

options that allow you to stay in the rat race but run on a different

track.

Hold off

Uncle Sam. Just because you can begin collecting Social Security retirement

benefits at 62 doesn't mean you should. You aren't eligible for full benefits

until you reach full retirement age, so you could collect less long term

if you start as soon as possible. Full retirement age for baby boomers

born after 1943 is 66, and it's 67 for anyone born after 1960. Plus, half

those benefits may be subject to income tax if your other income puts

you over certain thresholds.

Let investments

keep working. Don't assume that your investments will stop working

just because you do. If you plan ahead, you can draw on other money first

and leave income tax-deferred accounts alone until you're required to

start withdrawing funds, usually about age 70 1/2. Under current law there

are options, such as the Roth IRA, that don't have withdrawal deadlines.

Use your

house. Many homeowners are living in their biggest asset. Consider

selling yours and buying or renting a home that costs less. Federal law

allows you to pocket up to $250,000 in tax-free profit ($500,000 for married

couples) on the sale of your home--a tidy sum to add to your nest egg.

If you want to stay in your house, consider a reverse mortgage, the loan

homeowners 62 and older can use to borrow on home equity with no payment

due until you leave the house for good.

Pay debts.

Enter the retirement phase of your life with as little debt as possible.

Pay off any credit card or other consumer debts you may have while you're

planning for retirement instead of while you're living in retirement.

Pay attention.

Be sure to factor in things you can't control taxes and inflation when

considering your retirement aspirations. They can be overcome, by the

way, but you need to be aware that your dollar may not be worth the entire

buck after taxes and inflation take hold of it.

Be prepared.

Before you retire, find out what you need to know about your employer-sponsored

retirement plan, health insurance options, Medicare, your insurance policies

and the like. Conduct an insurance check-up to determine how your needs

now compare with what they'll be in the future. You may no longer need

disability income insurance, but what about long-term care coverage? What

you learn may have an impact on your timeline and goals, so it's best

to uncover potential surprises before it's too late.

Web sites such

as IHateFinancialPlanning.com can be a resource for topics, calculators

and other tools.

IHateFinancialPlanning.com

is a Web site that has helped nearly 5 million people who have an aversion

to planning make sense of their personal finances through fun, friendly,

easy-to-understand content and financial-planning tools. Affiliated with

ING's U.S. operations, the Web site has been featured in PC World magazine,

The Washington Post and on "CNN Headline News."

ING's U.S.

operations [www.ing-usa.com] offer a comprehensive array of products and

services, including life insurance; fixed and variable annuities; retirement

plans; employee benefits; and mutual funds, through a variety of distribution

channels, including a large network of independent financial professionals.

ING U.S. Financial Services is part of Amsterdam-based ING Groep N.V.,

one of the largest integrated financial services organizations

in the world. Neither ING nor IHateFinancialPlanning.com offers tax or

legal advice. Securities available through PrimeVest Financial Services,

Inc., Member NASD/SIPC and a member of ING. Carmichael Lynch Spong is

not affiliated with PrimeVest Financial Services, INC. and is not a member

of ING.

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