The reality is that investors who stayed the course and did not pull their money out of the market in the last few months may actually have fared pretty well. Despite an almost 8 percent decline since mid-July, the broader stock market, represented by the S&P 500 Index, is up nearly 8 percent over the past 12 months. Certainly it's been a rough few years with the S&P 500, down 8 percent in five years. But over the past decade, the broader stock market is up by more than 10 percent.

In most cases, the road to financial security in retirement comes with steady savings, strategic investing, and probably a later retirement date than you may have envisioned at the start of your career. Keep these three rules in mind: First, you need to live within your means. Next, you have to commit to saving a certain amount every month and stick to that goal. Then, you have to make sure your investments are in a diversified portfolio â€" a mix of stocks, bonds, and alternative investments (commodities and real estate) and rebalance that mix to attain your goals for growth

Pay attention,more americans are becoming millionaires than you realized.  http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/113526/what-it-takes-become-millionaire-cnbc?mod=retire-planning  triffid

Forget about commodities.Over 90% of all transactions there will lose money.Forget about mutual funds too.Some will disagree with me there but I will never touch them again.triffid

The number of millionaires in the country is growing. The U.S. has more than 10 million. Despite the European debt crisis and worries about the U.S. economy, a May 2011 report from the Deloitte Center for Financial Services projects that the number of millionaire households in the U.S. will more than double to 20.5 million in 2020, with combined wealth of $87 trillion, up from $39 trillion in 2011.   triffid

These are the things I found to work in my life whae I followed them.It does take work.In most cases, the road to financial security in retirement comes with steady savings, strategic investing, and probably a later retirement date than you may have envisioned at the start of your career. Keep these three rules in mind: First, you need to live within your means. Next, you have to commit to saving a certain amount every month and stick to that goal. Then, you have to make sure your investments are in a diversified portfolio Save at least 10% or more a month.Pretend you do not have that money to spend.Do this savings program for at least eight years.triffid

This sounds like a cover story put together by the credit card companies.  http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/113549/michigan-couple-pay-off-92000-debt-creditcards;_ylt=AqsQC1D84UDD4jqFHyiRM9NO7sMF;_ylu=X3oDMTFhZmFlbzNnBHBvcwMzBHNlYwNwZXJzb25hbEZpbmFuY2UEc2xrA2hvd29uZWNvdXBsZQ--#mwpphu-container    Remember the credit card companies settle in the states that allow them to charge the highest interest and to play games on bumping up your interest rate if you are late or behind one payment to another account.triffid