If you are in your fifties or sixties, you may have begun to pay closer attention to commercials regarding annuities, Medicare Part B, or those ads featuring Tom Selleck talking about reverse mortgages. You are not alone. Financial advisors suggest that many of us abruptly awaken to the realities of retirement about five years or so prior to its onset. While such awareness can be jarring, most advisors consider the panic attacks that occur several years prior to retirement helpful.

Anirban has more.