If you're like me and most of the other baby boomers out there, the word "retirement" has probably crossed your mind by now.  The question then is, "Are you prepared?"  I can tell you that my answer is a resounding "NO! Not even close!"  And that scares me.  The problem is that I'm 43 with my youngest child just finishing her first year at a very expensive college and I have only recently dug my way out of the financial pits of hell caused by my divorce 6 years ago.   I often times wonder if it's too late for me to prepare for retirement.  I'm just not sure that there's enough time left to get enough money saved.  The good news is that I'm entering the second phase of my life with a terrific partner so I won't be going it alone.

But where do we start?  I have a small mutual fund that, with the exception of this year, has been a good producer overall.   And I have some money sitting in retirement account from an old company I used to work for.  But there's not enough money in these two accounts to support us for more than 3 months!   I've been doing some research on IRA's and I believe at this point that a Roth is the best option but I'm not sure who to go with; my local bank, T Rowe Price or some other company.  My partner doesn't have any money put aside for retirement however he owns close to a million dollars in real estate.  My only concern with real estate is that you can't always move it when you want to.  You're at the mercy of the market at times.  We're feeling that pinch right now!

I have found some good information at MSN for retirement planning.  Here you'll find savings calculators, tips on debt management, money rules to live by, and so much more.  I'll continue to do my research but in the meantime, I think I'll increase my monthly contributions to my mutual fund, roll the old retirement account into a Roth IRA and surf the Yellow Pages for a financial adviser.  Time is no longer on my side!