[originaltext] Everyone will become old and retire someday. So it’ s never to

Everyone will become old and retire someday. So it’ s never too soon for you to consider retirement decisions. If you’re looking for insights into effective retirement decisions, one of the best things you can do is ask current retirees — those who have already retired—what actions they took that they’re most happy about and what they regret the most. They should have a lot of credibility, and their answers can give you compelling real-life examples of the consequences of good and bad decisions.
   When it comes to steps people were glad they took, here are some common survey responses, for example, living modestly, paying off their mortgage before retirement and staying with a job that offered a traditional defined benefit pension plan.
   Moreover, our surveys have found the following steps to retirement happiness as reported by retirees: creating a retirement budget, making new friends, focusing on relationships with spouses, developing new hobbies or interests, and creating a vision for life in retirement.
   Many people are worried if they can live a decent life on their pensions once they retire. In essence, your finances are as important as your emotions and your physical health, and it’s normal to feel stressed before retirement. But according to a survey done earlier this year, many retirees say once they’ve retired, they feel less stressed because they’ve figured out how to manage their finances.
   Next, let’s talk about some of the common regrets reported from our surveys:
   * Our surveys show that the top regret is starting to save for retirement too late and saving too little. This could be the result of not making retirement savings a priority, as reported by 81 percent of workers.
   * Another regret that people have is about their lack of savings. It is reported that more than one in five people say they’d rather "die early" than live without enough money for a comfortable retirement. That might boost your motivation to start saving!
   * One survey reports that 49 percent, almost half of all respondents wished they had retired earlier. On average, they wished they had retired four years earlier than they actually did.
   * But another survey reports that more than two-thirds of middle-income boomer retirees say they wish they had worked longer. These conflicting results show that you need to take this information with a large grain of salt.
   * Let me provide you with a list of these common regrets, many of which I heard myself from retirees while doing my research on retirement: not retiring sooner, not doing your financial homework, not making up with friends and family sooner, not planning for all that leisure time, not kicking a bad habit sooner, such as drinking and gambling, not taking Social Security at the best time, not traveling earlier and not taking better care of your health. Whew — a tall order, but spot on.
   * Other regrets include: retiring too early, expecting too much from Social Security, not having a spending plan and carrying too much debt.
   Here’s an idea for the coming holiday season. The next time you’re with your older relatives and friends who’ve already retired, ask them about their regrets as well as about the steps they’re glad they took to prepare for retirement. Most people are happy to share their life experience if it helps those they care about. It might be a better use of your time than discussing politics or watching football on TV.
   Keep in mind that you might receive conflicting answers, or the answers may not have much relevance to you. You’ll want to reflect on whether these insights make sense to you, and how they might confirm or change your plans. You have unique circumstances and life goals, and you’ll reap the rewards or suffer the consequences of your decisions.
Question No. 16 How can one find insights into effective retirement decisions?
Question No. 17 Which of the following is NOT a step to retirement happiness?
Question No. 18 What is the top regret indicated by the retirement surveys?
Question No. 19 According to the survey reports, what is the percentage of people who wished that they had retired earlier?
Question No. 20 What conclusion can be drawn from the talk?