Although retirement [1] may be decades off, knowing where the money [2] will come from to fund those pension years is vital. Met Life [3] has some good financial planning advice -- for free.

Met experts suggest you review your likely Social Security benefit, any pensions or annuities you are due and funds in your Individual Retirement Account or 401(k) plan. Use a computer calculator or talk to a financial professional to get an idea how much income your savings and investments will generate.

Evaluate the costs you expect to incur in retirement [1], such as health [4] insurance [5] and taxes [6] -- which don't end just because you're retired. Met Life also suggests a number of books [7] and government publications to help you plan the financial foundation of your retirement [1].

If you're looking ahead to retirement [1] and want information to help get you there, sign up for the free weekly ThirdAge Reinventing Retirement [8] newsletter.