<prompt> Human: As someone who is just trying to pay as much as I can towards my retirement watching the video The Retirement Gamble from Frontline freaked me out. Here is the video Im referencing: I subscribe to rpersonalfinance because I am trying to gain some deeper understanding of personal finance and planning. I feel really comfortable compared to many people I know ie-no debt, a comfortable cushion of 1 years expenses, and saving about 15 of my income into work setup 401k or 403b, but the thing is that I really dont have a deep understanding. For example, when I start a new job I set up my retirement deductions asap and usually choose the targeted plan that is a little bit further out than is recommended for my age so as to be a little more aggressive for a little longer. The thing that is so difficult for me to accept is that I am not educated enough to fully understand what I am doing. Should I understand where all my money is going in my retirement plan? YES, of COURSE! Do I? No, I do not. As was indicated in the video, it is really complex to understand the fees, breakdowns, and investment portfolios. I do not have the time nor the capacity to understand the entire financial market. I feel like every time I try to take a step in the right direction to educate myself someone comes along and says Oh thats crap, dont listen to that, they are just trying to get more money out of you. I honestly just feel overwhelmed, undereducated, and frankly powerless. I would really like some guidance for people like me: healthy saving and spending habits in place, not struggling, no debt or only reasonable mortgage debt, bare minimums already taken care, but no clue how to take the next step. It should be noted that I live in the Pacific Northwest and make mid 5 figures salary.Come on rpersonalfinance, Im kinda freaking out, talk me down off the ledge and point me in the right direction. I have already read the Long term investing startup kit on the right, and want to know where should I delve deeper.  <response>: Head to your local library and pick up The Bogleheads Guide to Retirement Planning by Larimore et al. It will explain 95 of what you need to know to be successful in saving for retirement. The FAQ also has lots of good information. 