How Much Should You Be Saving for Retirement?

"A good investment rule of thumb is: 110 – your age = percentage of plan you should have in stocks," says Eric Tyson. "The rest should be in a bond index fund." After age 50, you can take advantage of the 401(k) catch-up provision and add an additional $6,000 to the $18,000 contribution limit. Another way to beef up retirement savings at this point is to consider downsizing your home. "The IRS lets you profit $250,000 ($500,000 if you're married) tax-free from the sale of your house," says Tyson, who suggests putting much of what's left after the purchase of your new home into retirement accounts.