If you had the opportunity to retire at 55, would you take it? Of course you would! Think about the "satisfaction" of retiring before The Rolling Stones have finished their 27th Farewell Tour.

The one question most of us will ponder at some time in our lives is: "How much do I need to retire?". Predicting what the future will have in store for us is by no means an easy task. Retirement planning has many factors to consider including your age, when you plan to retire, your income today, desired retirement lifestyle and where you should start.

Planning for those golden years may not sound very intriguing, but it is one of the most important financial decisions you will ever make. Let's look at some different tools and strategies to help us achieve our goal of retiring comfortably.

Next: 1. How Much Will I Need?