It's a brave new world in financial planning. Old rules of thumb and ideas just won't work. The days of buying and holding investments are dead. You need to rethink your retirement approach. We live in the age of information. In many ways, that's a wonderful thing. You can do your own research on a wide spectrum of investments on the web, just by doing searches on key topics such as annuities, IRAs, stocks, online newsletters, participating in discussion boards, and more. However, it's easy to become overwhelmed with information overload. And when you read conflicting advice, it can get confusing. To complicate matters further, tax laws can change every year. This means the strategies your parents followed probably won't work for you. You need to educate yourself. In this guide, I've distilled much of the financial information that is relevant to people approaching retirement today. As always, remember to consult a qualified financial planner to see how these ideas fit your specific circumstances. Here's to your happy and prosperous retirement Thomas P. Marshall, MBA http: //www.thomaspmarshall.com