If you think you somehow missed my newsletters in January and February, you didn't. I didn't publish my monthly newsletter
earlier this year due to a number of distractions: a long vacation, a personal health issue (see How Would You Spend Your Time and Money If You Had One Year to Live?), and devoting time to developing my new, online retirement planning guide (which you can see at right).

But I'm back on track now. This newsletter compiles some of the most helpful articles published on retirement planning since January.  And I plan to continue this newsletter each month in the future.  Thanks for staying tuned!

Planning for a retirement that can last 20 years or more can be a daunting task. It's easy to get lost in the details and not see the forest for the trees. Your first step is understanding the big picture, so you focus on what really matters to you. The four steps described here are the organizing framework for the retirement planning strategies that I advocate in my retirement planning workshops and in my new online retirement planning guide.

Need to work in your retirement years? Frustrated by the miserable job picture? Things are picking up. We've worked with Indeed.com to pinpoint opportunities in 12 industries and found a career coach who gives 4 tips on how to boost your chance of getting a great job in a big hurry.  Read this excellent article by CBS MoneyWatch blogger Kathy Kristof. At the bottom of this article, there are links to subsequent articles that describe the job prospects in each of the 12 industries mentioned here. 

This may be the most critical question you face as you approach retirement. There's no single answer, but there are smart ways to weigh your options.  Read here to see how much retirement income you can generate from various methods of converting retirement savings into income.

Reverse mortgages -- notoriously expensive -- are now on sale for less. If mis-sold, these loans can leave you poor. On the other hand, the right loan at the right time can lift you out of a pinched life of living on Social Security benefits and measly certificates of deposit. And that time may be now.For details, read this excellent article from CBS MoneyWatch blogger Jane Bryant Quinn.

Woo-hoo, the bull market is officially two years old! The S&P 500 is up nearly 100 percent during this rally. Has your portfolio done as well? If not, here's how to become a smarter investor.  CBS MoneyWatch blogger Carla Fried offers great insights into how to control your emotions when it comes to investing.

Speaking of controlling your investing emotions, read here for a colorful story about the stock market from CBS MoneyWatch blogger Allan Roth.  The past few years have seen both a ferocious bear and bull. Here are some stats on how fast and powerful these two animals have been. See a rare picture of these wild animals feeding on human fear and greed.

If you're looking for a product that can help you spend down your portfolio without paying high fees, then consider a Vanguard Managed Payout Fund or the Fidelity Income Replacement Fund. Here's the scoop from CBS MoneyWatch blogger Allan Roth.

We can learn a lot from our dogs about how to enjoy a healthy and happy retirement -- and about what not to do. Read here for smart tips from Rover and Rusty.