Author Bio
Selena Maranjian has been writing for the Fool since 1996 and covers basic investing and personal finance topics. She also prepares the Fool's syndicated newspaper column and has written or co-written a number of Fool books. For more financial and non-financial fare (as well as silly things), follow her on Twitter... Follow @SelenaMaranjian
Here's something you probably didn't know: The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit was recently just $1,547, or about $18,500 per year. Yes, if you earned an above-average income during your working life, you'll likely collect more than that -- but it still is probably not going to be enough to cover your expenses in retirement.