Research has shown that peer pressure - seeing where you fall in relation to people your age, at your income, in your area - can help inspire you to do more. The you of today don’t know the you of 30 years from now, so it’s hard to empathize with her. And, visualizing yourself older is key, too. A picture of the place you want to live - specifics on when you want to live there.

You don’t want to be putting money away for some amorphous future, but for something specific. Visualization is key in inspiring you to save more. If those amounts were turned into an income stream (using an annuity) to supplement Social Security, it would be roughly $310 and $650 a month. Those 65 to 74 have an average of $148,000. People age 55 to 64 have an average of $104,000. The reality is, nearly half of Americans have no retirement savings at all. We’re also feeling more confident that we’ll be able to afford both basic expenses and healthcare expenses. Perception/Reality: In 2016, 21 percent of people were very confident that they’d have enough money to retire comfortably, and 42 percent somewhat confident, according to the retirement confidence survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

What is safe money