Editor's Note: "Retirement Savings on Track? How Much You Should Have by 50 and 55" is part of an ongoing series on getting your retirement on track by age. The second story is "Retirement on ...

It can be hard to know if your retirement savings are on track, but comparing your balance to where others similar in age are can help. In particular, taking a look at the average 401(k) balance ...

The second is “Retirement Savings on Track? How Much You Should Have by 55 and 60 .” Save early and save often is the mantra we’ve been hearing since we entered the workforce.

So recently, I decided to use a few online retirement calculators to see if my savings are on track. And the results were basically the opposite of helpful. Image source: Getty Images.