Keys to a Satisfying Retirement

DIVERSIFY YOUR INVESTMENTS, CREATE AN INCOME STREAM AND KEEP SPENDING IN CHECK.

- Janet Bodnar

What's your advice for enjoying a comfortable retirement without financial regrets? I posed that question to readers in a column about the "secret sauce" to cooking up a satisfying retirement (see "Living in Retirement," Dec.). Many thanks for the flood of responses, which generally fell into two categories: financial and social. This month I'll pass along your financial advice, and next time I'll offer your recipes for a healthy social life in retirement.

Overall, "the 'secret sauce' you wrote about was so spot on," writes reader David Gelb. "We followed the formula to a T: We started investing in mutual funds when we were in our early thirties, lived below our means most of our working lives, maxed out our 401(k) contributions when we could, never carried any debt other than our mortgage (which we paid off two years prior to retiring)." In addition, Gelb says, they "sought the advice of a professional money manager for a portion of our investments as we neared retirement." Many of you added your own personal spin to that guidance. "Remember that it's a marathon and not a sprint," writes one reader. "Regarding investments, aim for singles; don't swing for the fences."