3/20/2012 12:57 PM ET

By Annie Mueller, Investopedia

It's hard to think of retirement when you're still young, but smart moves now can make sure your older self will be financially secure.

You want to not only have enough money to live comfortably when you retire, you also want a little bit more. Maybe you want enough to travel, start that side business you always talked about or purchase your dream home since you'll have time to enjoy it. Whatever your retirement dreams are, maximizing your retirement income can help.

Here are some ways to do just that:

You've no doubt heard of the benefits of compound interest. The key is that the sooner you start saving, the sooner you start gaining the interest and the sooner that interest can start compounding. Two years makes a difference, but five or 10 years makes an even bigger difference in the amount you end up with upon retirement. If you're on a tight budget, you can still stash at least a little bit away in a retirement account. Have a set amount automatically deducted from your paycheck, so you're not tempted to spend it. You're investing in your own future. (Are you saving enough for retirement? Find out with MSN Money's calculator.)

This one isn't always possible, but if you happen to have a nice lump sum of money come into your possession, consider using it as the base of your retirement fund. Graduations and weddings often result in gifts of cash, so use these as the seed of your retirement account for increased compound interest and a larger return when you retire.

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Maximize retirement income

Regardless of how old you are, it's never too early to start thinking about retirement. It will be here much sooner than you think and if you find yourself unprepared, there may be no way to make up for the lack of preparation in the past.

If you're close to retirement and not sure if now is the right time, you have a unique set of questions to ask yourself before saying goodbye to the life you've lived for decades. Whether you're young or old, there are questions you need to answer before you have a clear picture of what retirement means for you.

Do I Have Enough Money?The "magic number" question is the question that we all ask, and getting a useful answer is often difficult. The long held wisdom is that you should have enough money to provide 80% of the income you were earning right before retirement. Some studies show that retirees spend less than when they were younger making the eighty percent rule too high, but other studies seem to show that less money is spent because retirees are forced to live on less due to shortfalls in retirement savings.

There is one fact not in dispute: Saving as much as possible now will better position you for retirement later. It doesn't have to be in a formal retirement account either. Fund your 401(k) to its maximum extent and start an IRA. Other savings can be in an investment or savings account. Rather than trying to find a magic number, save and invest more in your working years.

Should I Keep Working?The traditional retirement age is 65, but that number has slowly risen to 69 according to recent studies by SunAmerica. A variety of reasons have factored in to this but the largest may be the loss of retirement savings as a result of the 2008 and 2009 recession. If you have a shortfall in your retirement accounts or you're in relative good health and could live longer than the amount of money you have to live on, working longer may be required.

There are also non-financial reasons. Some people have a live-to-work mentality where staying at home and taking part in recreational activities isn't healthy for them. If you enjoy working and have the means to do so, working longer can help you reach your savings goals while also keeping your mind and body healthier. Remember that some retirement accounts require that you begin taking payments at a certain age so consulting with a financial planner is well advised.

Is Working an Option?Forty one percent of people reaching retirement age cite medical problems as holding them back from working any longer. If you're far away from retirement age, it would be dangerous to rely on working past 60 to shore up your retirement goals. There's a better than average chance that you'll have the opportunity to work longer, but money decisions should never be made with hope as part of the reasoning.

What Would You Like to Do?If you want to work after retirement, position yourself now to be able to do that. What types of jobs would you like to do as a retiree and how can you train for those now? Would you like to be a writer? A consultant? A counselor? Less physically demanding jobs that allow you to work on your own schedule might allow you to achieve a lifestyle of both retirement and still earning a living even if minor health problems do become an issue.

The Bottom LineAlthough we hear all the time how we should plan for our retirement, an alarming amount of people have done very little to plan for the golden years. If that's you, now is the time to come up with a plan and start funding those goals.

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Personal finance management toolJemstepisone of the latest to give consumers an edge when it comes to managing their investments.

"Were not looking to break those investor relationships with (customers') broker," explains Simon Roy,EVP Corporate Development. But "at the end of the day, managing your investments is a lifelong mission. As much as it's tempting to hand it over to a third party, individuals are way better served becoming more informed and having more control."

Once you've linked all your accounts to Jemstep, the site supplies a wealth of information on your progress. The graphs and charts are fun to look at, but what happens if you, like Roy's own sister, realize your broker hasn't been picking funds in line with your best interests?

Here are three ways Jemstep can help you find (and deal with) the warning signs:

Per Roy: "Once the investor links their accounts with Jemstep , they will be able to see how much money they have working towards their goal and how their current investments have performed compared to the relevant index.

This will help them answer the question, 'Overall, how well has my portfolio performed compared to relevant market benchmarks?' This feature also answers the question, 'How would what I hold today have performed over the last three or one years?'"

If that red arrow is pointing downward, something's probably up.

Per Roy: "After the investor answersthe Quick Start questions andlinkstheir investments, Jemstep automatically reviews them against all the other funds in the same category; shows how they stack up (rank #); and recommends what investors should consider selling, buying and keeping.

As you can see from the screen shot, we highlight which onesare a really bad fit for them.These tend to be really weak performers that often have high fees relative to the available alternative funds.We also provide an overview of some of the key attributes of why Jemstep 's recommended fund is a better fit.

Investors can review the information on this screen with their broker and have a conversation about the criteria used in the selection of these funds, and possible alternative funds that may be better-suited to them."

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Hip-hop star Nicki Minaj helps Complex magazine celebrate their 10th anniversary by covering their latest issue with a new photoshoot and feature story.

Shot by photographer Christian Anwander, the YMCMB First Lady sits down with Miss Info for a revealing Q&A, speaking on everything from her success thus far and how she doesn't savor the biggest moments she's experienced in her career, why she's focused on hitting several personal goals and what they are, all the way to if she has plans for marriage and a family.

Complex's new issue is slated to hit newsstands April 3rd.

Below are excerpts from the feature story. Read the full story over at Complex.com.

What wows you these days? Everything that comes your way keeps becoming bigger, bigger, bigger. If I wasn't doing it, I wouldn't believe it's possible. I remember when I was working with Jay-Z. It was like, "Oh my God. Did I really just do a song with Jay?" I worked with Mariah and it wasn't commercially successful. But I had fun and I made a real friendship with her. It was, obviously, a life-changing moment for me. It does feel like every moment is getting bigger and bigger. Not only did I get a call to do a song with Madonna, but then I got a call to do a video with Madonna, and then -- oh, by the way -- you're going to do the Super Bowl with Madonna. This is not really happening.

Do you have to put the excitement off to the side to keep yourself from freezing up? I happen to be a pessimist, and maybe that's a good thing because I don't stop to smell the roses -- which is not a good personal thing. I don't stop and enjoy those moments. I'm just [snaps fingers] on to the next. Always on to the next and never in the moment.

When you're constantly exceeding your own expectations, how do you set new goals? Doing the Super Bowl with Madonna doesn't really change Nicki Minaj's personal goals. My goal right now is still to put out Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, sell five million copies eventually, and tour every country in the world. That's what I've been working toward. So while the world is talking about, "Oh my God, I can't believe Nicki Minaj was at the Super Bowl!" I'm mixing and mastering my music. In my scheme of things it's way bigger.

Because those surprises can't replace the things you want to achieve by yourself? Because my goal the whole time has been for people to see me as a stand-alone artist. I came out with Young Money, the biggest hip-hop label in the world at that time. And then it was, "How do I branch away from Lil Wayne?" One of my biggest records was with Drake, "Moment 4 Life." Even with the Super Bowl, it's Madonna's moment. I'm just sharing in that moment. It's not Nicki Minaj's moment. Nicki Minaj at the Grammys -- that's my moment. I've just been constantly on this quest to stand alone.

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Nicki Minaj Covers Complex For Mag's 10th Anniversary, Talks Personal Goals & Her Success

Windows Phone experts Henry Lee and Eugene Chuvyrov take a fresh approach to showcasing how to develop apps for personal and professional use on the new Mango platform.

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 20, 2012

Starting with the absolute bare bones of developing, from downloading the correct programs to packaging the application for sale on Windows Phone Marketplace, this expert author team doesnt leave any topic untouched. This essential resource will teach readers how to take advantage of the phones GPS capabilities through an application, which most apps utilize today, and how to incorporate other phone features like the camera, contacts or web browser, to name a few.

Beginning Windows Phone App Development was created to target the novice developer. It will cater to anyone looking to create Windows Phone applications on the Windows Phone 7.5 platform. Those with existing knowledge of .NET coding will be able to navigate the content with ease. Anyone looking for a new spin on development to those that are looking to switch from the iPhone or Android systems will benefit from this title.

For more information on this Beginning Windows Phone App Development, please visit http://www.apress.com/9781430241348.

*500 pages

About the Authors

Henry Lee, founder of ToeTapz.com and NewAgeSolution.net, is passionate about technology. He works with various Fortune 500 companies, delivering mobile applications and rich Internet applications. He is focusing his energy on delivering mobile applications on Windows Phone 7, Android, and iPhone. In his spare time, he dedicates his efforts to helping his communities by delivering sessions at technology events. He enjoys speaking with other technologists about current trends in technology and sharing business insights with fellow colleagues.

Eugene Chuvyrov is an independent software consultant residing in Sunnyvale, CA. Eugene has been working with Microsoft technologies since he graduated college in 1998, delivering reliable software solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as Fortune 1000 clients. Eugene is actively involved with the user community as event facilitator and frequent speaker and he tried his hand at a couple of startups. One of those startups, Zenith Mobile Solutions, is building mobile applications for Windows Phone 7.

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