Whenever you see people enjoying a comfortable retirement — traveling, volunteering, pursuing hobbies, taking up a new career — you can be pretty sure it all didn't happen by accident. In fact, success at retirement is similar to success in just about any endeavor — you have to plan for it.

Of course, your planning could take many different forms. But, as you get close to retirement, you might find it easier to organize your efforts if you ask yourself these five key questions:

• Where am I today? Shortly before you retire, make a detailed list of your financial assets, such as your bank accounts, investments, IRA, 401(k), etc. You may want to consider consolidating as many of these accounts as you can with just one company.