Things have changed since I was in my 20s. What is obvious now wasn&#x27;t so obvious then. Pensions have disappeared, medical benefits have shrunk, 401k&#x27;s have been on the rise while company contributions to them have shrunk, and then there&#x27;s social security, which none of us can expect anymore (they even keep raising the age on it). So while planning may be obvious now, all of these things have happened relatively recently for folks approaching retirement.