* Roll over any vested pension benefits that you or your spouse receive as a result of a job change into an individual retirement account or other tax-deferred retirement plan.

* Periodically check with the Social Security Administration by requesting and filing Form SSA-7004. You will receive a "Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement" to verify that your wages are being properly credited to your account and to prepare retirement income projections.

* Establish what your retirement income will be, and estimate as closely as possible your retirement living costs.