Social Security's new online benefits statement is a useful new resource for anyone doing financial planning or future financial projections. And, as I learned when I signed up to view mine, the statements provide some interesting new information.

A survey released today by Country Financial puts a hopeful spin on Americans' retirement prospects. In a press release titled "Golden Years Look More Golden for Middle-Income Americans," the company reports that "35 percent of Americans now think it is possible for a typical middle-income family to save for a secure retirement.... up six points from this time last year and the first increase in five years."

Despite understanding the importance of planning for retirement, most younger investors have yet to develop a detailed plan for their finances in retirement, according to new research by T. Rowe Price.

Two reports released this week focus on how little Americans know about options for claiming Social Security retirement benefits, and how much they could gain financially by knowing more.

Even though the majority of small-business owners are concerned about their financial security in retirement, many have not estimated how much they will need, according to new research from The American College.

We rate all kinds of things here at Consumer Reports, but places to retire aren’t one of them. Any number of other publications, websites, and organizations do, however, and the editors of the Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter follow their efforts with interest. Every so often, we like to compare different lists side by side and see what, if any, places they agree on. No single place made all four of the lists we looked at most recently, including one released just this week, but these four cities each made two:

If you’re scouting around for a place to retire, or just enjoy fantasizing about ever being able to, here’s another new list of possibilities, from the website MoneyRates.com. It ranks all 50 states based on economic factors (cost of living, tax rates, and unemployment), as well as climate, life expectancy, and crime. Texas tops the list, followed by Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Iowa. At the bottom: Massachusetts, Michigan, and Maine.

We Americans aren't the only ones who fantasize about retiring abroad, apparently. Many prospective retirees in the United Kingdom do, as well, according to a new survey by Standard Life, a financial services company based in Edinburgh. And No. 3 on their wish list of destinations, after Spain and Australia, is the U.S.A. France came in fourth, Ireland fifth.

The Social Security disability fund may not be able to make payments come 2017, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

The Colorado town of Louisville topped Money Magazine's annual list of 100 Best Places to Live. The 2011 list of the best American small towns was based on job opportunities, quality of school systems, economic strength, and weather, among other criteria.

Congress and the President have until Tuesday to resolve the debt-ceiling crisis. If that deadline comes and goes the U.S. will be in default, and the government will have trouble paying its bills and covering its costs. Failure to raise the debt ceiling would also have financial consequences for consumers. Here are a few things that might happen.

For the dwindling number of us who still think we might be able to retire someday, AARP is out with a new list of where to do so, entitled 10 Affordable Cities for Retirement.

Without a workplace 401(k) plan, many investors would not be saving for retirement at all, according to a new study from the mutual fund and financial services group Fidelity Investments.

AARP's Social Security Benefits Calculator, which was unveiled today, gives folks planning for retirement a useful tool to answer a key question: When to file for those benefits? From first look, I'd say it's not a perfect tool, but it could help many people—and couples—get closer to that crucial decision.

A new survey of 250 large companies shows that many employers have scaled back their retiree insurance plans, while others are planning to eliminate them, according to CNN Money.