How do you want to retire?
If you want to retire in luxury and have nice things, take nice vacations, not work at all, spoil your grandchildren, travel with your friends, and all those other wonderful things retirement seems to promise, you have to come up with some money to make that possible. You won't be able to retire like that on what you get from social security.

When do you want to retire?
How soon do you plan to retire. The route you take to save for your retirement, and the investments you make to build your retirement savings will be determined largely by how quickly you need to come up with your retirement money. If you have fewer years left you may have to take larger risks, which may result in larger losses. In addition, when you retire will affect how many years you will need your retirement money for before you suspect you will die.

What will your tax bracket be when you retire?
The amount of money you take out of your retirement accounts will be taxed, and you do not want to pay the taxes on money you earned in a lower tax bracket if you will be in a higher one when you retire. For example, if you are only making $50,000 a year while you save for retirement, it may be smarter to pay the taxes upfront so you can pull the money out tax free later. However, if you only plan to use $25,000 a year, you may want to do a tax-deferred account. Talk to a financial specialist to see what they recommend you do.

How will the 59 1/2 rule affect you when you retire?
How many years are you going to have to use your retirement savings, and not pay penalties, taxes etc. These are the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself when you plan for how much you are going to save, how you will save it, and what you are going to do tax wise.

What kind f retirement savings will best meet your needs?
There are all sorts of retirement savings vehicles, some better than others, but each person is different, and while an IRA might work best for some, a 401k or other pension plan might work best for another. So, talk to a tax professional, and financial specialist when planning for your retirement to ensure you get the retirement savings vehicle that will best fit your needs now, and in the future.