We'll just get this out of the way right up front. You need to start contributing more to your 401(k). And you should consider trying to max out your 401(k) contributions eventually.

It's a common question: "Should I use a Roth IRA rather than a traditional IRA?" A similar question is, "Should I transfer money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA?"

When the question "How much do you need to retire" comes up, most people reflexively think of a target to hit. A million dollars, two million dollars. If I can just get to a certain amount, people think, I'll be set.

It once seemed impossible, but many developed nations are pushing interest rates into negative territory- http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-negative-interest-rates-20160219-story.html.

Retiring "early" means different things to different people. But let's just say retiring before age 60 constitutes an early retirement for most people.