1997: Elton John’s tribute to Lady Diana, a reworking of his tribute to Marilyn Monroe, “Candle in the Wind” goes on sale and racks up sales of 600,000 copies on its first day in England alone. It goes on to eclipse Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” as the best-selling single of all-time.

1990: In a sign that the times really have “a-changed,” Bob Dylan performs for the cadets at the West Point Military Academy. And yes, he does perform his scathing anti-war song “Masters of War.”

During the concert, the cadets also engage in an impromptu singalong with Dylan on his other anti-war classic “Blowin’ in the Wind.

1968: Just two years after the Monkees proved you could create a popular rock band artificially, CBS debuts the Saturday morning show The Archies, based on the popular, long-running comic book characters.

The idea was to avoid previous problems that arose when the Monkees actually demanded more control over their records. By using cartoon characters, musical producer Don Kirshner guaranteed he’d never face another mutiny in the recording studio.

Of course, people are still listening to the Monkees' music. The Archies - not so much.

1990: Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks announce they are leaving Fleetwood Mac. Don’t worry. They’ll be back.

Although we like to think of ourselves as “Forever Young,” the reality is that for most of us, retirement age is right around the corner.

The good news is it’s never too late to make a plan. According to Charles Schwab, here are 2 steps you can take right now to help you better prepare for what should be the greatest time in your life.

Image courtesy of hin255 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you feel you haven’t really done enough to prepare for retirement, you’re not alone. The 2023 Retirement Confidence Survey conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) revealed some eye-opening statistics about workers aged 55 and older:

• 60% have less than $100,000 in retirement savings
• 43% have saved less than $25,000
• 36% have saved less than $10,000

Here’s what the money pros at Charles Schwab recommend:

• Create a plan. Run the numbers to see how much you should be saving, based on your best estimate of what you plan to spend in retirement. A certified financial planner can help you crunch the numbers if you need it. There are also a number of “retirement calculators” you can find online that can help you with this. The key is not to overestimate the return you’ll get on your investments.
• Save more. Once you've established your target, figure out a way to make it happen. Take a hard look at spending less so you can save/invest more. Ask yourself if you really need that $5 visit to the corner coffee shop every morning. Make an agreement with your significant other to spend less on birthday and holiday gifts. Savings as little as $150 a month can add up over time. Other viable options include retiring a bit later, working part-time in retirement, or spending less in retirement. Best of all you can mix and match any of these choice to help you reach your goals

Don’t assume your 401(k) and/or Social security will handle everything. Now is the time to take positive action to ensure you enjoy the retirement you deserve!

1971: The Jackson 5 debut in a Saturday morning cartoon show on ABC. Unlike the Beatles cartoons for the same network, the Jackson brothers provide their own voices for the show.