According to Money, there are 13 big myths about retirement that you need to be aware of—and the sooner you know about them, the sooner you can make any necessary adjustments to improve your preparations for those twilight years.

Myth 1: You need a big income to have a big nest egg
Myth 2: You can't get rich with a 401(k)
Myth 3: Everyone has debt
Myth 4: A million dollars will cover you

Myth 5: Boomers will crash the market
Myth 6: Without a pension, you're doomed
Myth 7: Social security won't be there
Myth 8: Your house can finance retirement
Myth 9: You're too old to start saving
Myth 10: Short-term market swings don't matter
Myth 11: Top priority is the kids' college
Myth 12: Decent savings plan = early retirement
Myth 13: You're bound to mess up your 401(k)

We think debunking these myths is a great service, but it's not really applicable to our own plan for retirement, which is to commit a terrible crime around age 70 so that we can wrap up our final years with free room and board in the big house. Hey, it might not be a fancy way to fizzle out, but it'll be cheap—and nobody's going to shiv a 70-year-old man. (We hope.)

"13 retirement myths" [CNNMoney]
(Photo: Getty)