The 12th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey revealed that for many Americans their retirement strategy is simply not to retire. The research shows how largely unprepared for retirement most are, and how few have a backup plan in the event that they are forced to retire earlier than planned.

Planning and saving for retirement may seem like goals that are far in the future. Yet saving, especially for retirement, should start early and continue throughout your lifetime, especially for women. As stated in an article published by the US Department of Labor Women and Retirement, women are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don't qualify for a retirement plan and interrupt their careers to take care of family. Therefore, they work fewer years and contribute less toward their retirement resulting in lower lifetime savings.

Start asking yourself some questions:

• At what age do I plan to retire? As the study states, "planning not to retire is not a viable retirement strategy."
• How much do I need in retirement? According to the Transamerica Survey most workers will need $600,000. If you started saving $200 a month at age 25, with normal investment returns you could have it by the time you reach 65. Impossible? Not if you start saving now.
• What retirement plans does my employer offer, and do I qualify? If you qualify for a plan - join now. If you work full time and your employer does not offer a retirement plan - open an IRA.

Once you have answered these questions you have started a retirement strategy for yourself. The quality of life in the future depends on what you contribute in the present. You will likely want to retire happily and comfortably with personal and financial peace of mind. The last thing your retirement should be is stressful for you and/or your family. Therefore, it is important to prepare a retirement plan now.

You can visit Employee Benefits Security Administration for some helpful resources on saving for retirement. So I ask, are YOU prepared for retirement?