"Win Ben Stein's Money"...but Keep Your Own--Six of Ben's Retirement Tips

Well known humorist and pundit Ben Stein provides some guides to a financially-fulfilling retirement. One of the first guides--expect a long (about 20 years) life after retirement if retiring in your early to mid 60s. Specific principles: [1] Save 10-20% of your income (more toward middle age), [2] start saving early (perhaps even teens or early twenties), [3] allocate assets with care--but don't be overly conservative, even as late as the earlier years of retirement, [4] consider long-term yield--Ben quotes ex-Vanguard head John Bogle's endorsement of index stock funds, [5] minimize stock fees and other costs, particularly in mutual funds, [6] control fund turnover to control tax consequences.

I endorse the use of low-cost mutual funds and would add investing in 401[k]s at work, especially if your employer matches your contribution and use of tax-exempt bond funds in years where you expect to have a marginal tax rate of 20% or more.