Win Ben Stein's Respect!

That wacky Ben Stein -- is there anything he hasn't done? I remember him playing a boring teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and on TV's The Wonder Years. You may remember that, too, or his Comedy Central quiz show, Win Ben Stein's Money. But did you know he was the valedictorian at Yale Law School in 1970 and has worked as a poverty lawyer and a trial lawyer? That he has been a professor and has written speeches for Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford? That he has penned screenplays, novels, and nonfiction books and articles?

Stein is also an advocate for sensible money management. When kicking off National Retirement Week late last year (yes, it's too late to send out your National Retirement Week cards), he lamented, "It's painfully obvious that many people… haven't even taken some basic steps to prepare for retirement, such as determining a target retirement age and how much savings they'll need, or determining expected retirement expenses. It is critical that every individual take the time to evaluate his or her situation now, and sit down with a trusted financial advisor to develop a retirement plan." Hear, hear, Mr. Stein.

Here are some scary statistics offered by the National Retirement Planning Coalition (NRPC):

• Some 74% of baby boomers say they're somewhat or very prepared financially for retirement. But just 8% have completed 10 basic steps for retirement preparation.
  
• Among older Americans, 90% are planning to rely primarily on Social Security for their retirement income, but Social Security supplied just 39% of retirement income for people 65 or older in 2001.
  
• About 90% of Americans say it's somewhat or very likely that they'll meet their retirement goals, but 60% were surprised to learn that $1 million in savings will safely provide only about $40,000 in annual retirement income. Uh-oh.

If it's dawning on you that you might be woefully underprepared for retirement, don't despair. It's probably not too late. Learn more about how to get a handle on your retirement in these articles:

• The Secret to Ben Stein's Money
• Six Retirement Resolutions
• What Retirement Will Cost
• Retirement's First Leg: Social Security
• How to Ruin Your Retirement
• Oops! I Forgot to Save for Retirement

You can even learn from Ben Stein himself -- read a transcript of his appearance on The Motley Fool Radio Show.

If you want a professional hand to hold as you plan your retirement, find one. There are many savvy and helpful pros out there. We can help you find one via our Advisor Center. Also, check out our new Rule Your Retirement newsletter (which you can try for free!) and our TMF Money Advisor service, which offers personal, one-on-one professional advice on retirement planning, taxes, estate planning, and more.

Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian does not own shares of any companies mentioned in this article.