According to Equity Trust Company, complaints about retirement planning sometimes come because individuals wait until too late in life to begin their planning in earnest. "It is important, now, more than ever, to be focused on retirement planning," the Company states, in its comments to the press. "The earlier you begin the better. A growing trend towards taking control of retirement with self-directed IRAs has become popular, because investors can invest in conventional investments (such as the stock market) and alternative investments (such as real estate) to create a diversified portfolio." At Equity Trust Company, complaints regarding the problems with retirement planning are resolved via self-directed retirement investing.

As for the article from U.S. News and World Report, it offers a number of helpful guidelines for those just beginning to plan for their retirement. The first tip offered is to have an emergency fund on hand, equal to about six months' worth of wages. "If you have money on hand to weather small and large emergencies, you'll be less likely to stop saving in an emergency, borrow from a retirement plan or rack up high-interest debt because of unexpected expenses," the article advises.

Another rule of thumb offered in the article is for individuals to save at least ten percent of their income for retirement. In this regard, many Americans are lacking; the article reveals that the current savings rate is just 3.2 percent.

"However, this rule of thumb can break down if you don't start saving until well into your career, or by waiting until you are in your thirties, forties or even fifties," the article continues. It then affirms the suggestion given by Equity Trust Company, encouraging individuals to start saving for retirement as early as possible. "Starting early allows you to tap the power of compounding interest. The sooner you save, the less you'll have to contribute to meet your retirement savings goals."

Other methods listed in the article include; having a percentage of bonds in one's portfolio that equals the investor's age; plan to save around eight times one's final income for retirement; and assuming that four percent of retirement savings will be withdrawn for each year of retirement.

At Equity Trust Company, complaints about retirement planning difficulties are resolved through self-directed IRAs.

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At Equity Trust Company, complaints about retirement savings are resolved with self-directed retirement accounts, and through general education. Equity Trust Company is one of the country's leading providers of self-directed IRAs and 401(k)s, with more than 130,000 clients in all 50 states and approximately $12 billion of retirement plan assets under administration. The Company believes in self-directed retirement accounts as ideal vehicles for generating long-term wealth, as they allow investors the freedom to invest funds as they determine. At Equity Trust Company worries about restrictive conventional retirement programs are commonly heard, and the Company responds to these complaints by providing information about the alternatives available through self-directed programs.