This increase in personal responsibility

is reflected in Americans' attitudes towards retirement savings options.

More than three in four retirees expressed confidence in the Social Security

system, while among non-retirees - who are going to need it farther

in the future-that number is only 43 percent. In fact, almost a third

of Americans say their top retirement concern is the failure of Social

Security. Two-thirds of working Americans place their fiscal faith in

their 401(k) plans, versus only 31 percent of current retirees.

According to Phil Harriman,

a financial planner with MDRT, Americans are moving in the right direction.

"The financial environment of the last few years has been hard for

many, but it's also taught future retirees to be more personally responsible

in planning their investments." Harriman suggests some ways you can

be sure your retirement funds are waiting for you when the time comes:

- Start early. If you

haven't begun your retirement planning yet, now is the time. Half of all

retirees say they wish they'd started planning earlier.

- Know your needs. Identify

your retirement goals and concerns and find a financial advisor to help

you create an individualized retirement plan that directly addresses those

concerns and moves you toward those goals.

- Stay involved. For the

most part, the days of planned pensions and gold watches are over. Today's

retirement planning is a hands-on process. Work with your advisor to ensure

your retirement investments are adaptable in a changing and often unpredictable

economy.

- Answer opportunity's

knock. Don't turn down free money. The benefits of 401(k) plans and

similar instruments, such as tax savings and employer matching, can over

the course of your working life add up to a sizeable nest egg.

For more information on financial

planning, visit www. soundfinancialplan.com.

Americans increasingly look

to their own resources in planning for retirement.

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