Q: I've been offered a choice between taking a lump sum payment from my defined-benefit pension plan from a previous employer or taking an annuity and leaving the plan. The lump sum is $200,000. Should...

Q. I'm 56 and my wife is 52. We have a pension, no debt and our mortgage is paid off. We also have $800,000 in savings. Can we afford to retire early? -- Tom, Harrisburg,...

Q. I'm in my mid-30s and max out my 401(k) and a Roth IRA every year. I also invest $4,500 a year in mutual funds. What more should I be doing to prepare for retirement?...

Q. I'm 65, my wife is 63 and we have about $600,000 saved. She thinks we ought to consider buying an annuity. I feel we don't need an insurance company to give us a monthly...

Q. I'm 52 and have had 100% of my savings in stocks since I began investing at age 25. Given my high risk tolerance and the fact that I expect that my pension and Social...

Q. An elderly widowed relative of mine barely scrapes by month-to-month with absolutely nothing left over. Aside from Social Security, she has a small savings account worth about $30,000 and a house that's paid for...