Retirement Success: Focus on the Paycheck, Not a Savings Number

Think about what you'll need to be happy during your retirement years. Shutterstock

CHICAGO—Steve Vernon is an expert on numbers—but please do not ask him for your “number”—that is, the amount you need to save to ensure a successful retirement.

Vernon thinks that is the wrong question. A leading retirement educator, by training he is an actuary—meaning he is an expert in measuring and managing risks and uncertainty.