Although 2009 is about to wind to its inevitable conclusion, you might still be able to get your money's worth from your corporate retirement plan account, like a 401(k) plan. Almost all employer-based retirement plans that featuring matching provisions calculate their maximum employer match based on a per-calendar year period. Therefore, even if you had previously neglected to take full advantage throughout 2009, by aggressively contributing to your 401(k) plan between now and the end of December you may be able to receive as much of that "free money" as you would have had you been contributing all year long!

However, once January 2010 rolls around, 2009 is gone and the money you forfeited can never again be realized. So if you've been procrastinating saving for retirement, you've only got a few weeks left to save - and potentially make up for the whole year.

Maximize your employer 401(k) matching program today.

I recently attended a conference in New York City featuring some leading financial services technology providers. For my retirement planning audience here at About.com, one seemed immediately worth sharing: Brightscope.

Free for consumers like you to use, Brightscope allows for a "Morningstar-like" visibility into your corporate retirement plan. While not every plan has been analyzed, the database is already quite extensive and continues to grow. Use the database it to compare your current employer's plan to an old plan or even, one day, to a potential new employer's plan.

Information is power and Brighscope is doing a great deal of work to increase transparency in your fund options and fees. Given that you often have very little say as to what you are offered, this is an important initiative.

Remember, you are the eventual retiree to whom the burden of retirement has, in a not so subtle way, been shifted. Take a few minutes to look at Brightscope and share your thoughts and/or recommendations.

Due to falling consumer prices, the government recently announced there will be no cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security recipients for the 2010 year.  Since automatic increases were put on the books in the mid-seventies, this is the first time there will not be an automatic year-over-year increase in the checks millions of retirees receive every month.  (For the year 2009, benefits checks increased by approximately 5.8% - the largest increase in nearly 30 years.)

The primary reason for the lack of a 2010 increase is that consumer prices have declined 2.1% since the third quarter of 2008. (Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment, by law, is based on the change in consumer prices from the third quarter of one year to the next.)

You may have heard that there is growing political enthusiasm now for a one-time $250 payment to Social Security recipients to help them deal with the lack of an increased Social Security payment. So, I'm curious, what do you think about the lack of a cola? Furthermore, what do you think about the one-time payment?  There's a section below for open-ended comments and a poll to participate in. I look forward to our lively discussion.

Next Thursday is the deadline to make your 2008 SEP-IRA account contribution.  A SEP-IRA is a very attractive retirement plan for self-employed individuals due to the large contribution limits.  In addition, SEP-IRA contributions are permitted until the extended due date of your tax return. For most filers, this is October 15.  So, if you had self-employment income during 2008 and you'd like to increase your retirement plan savings, time is ticking.  Read more about SEP-IRAs.

Several times a week, I take the time to explain various important pieces of retirement planning - thank you for your kind words.  While I intend to be fairly comprehensive in my approach, it is critical that you remain aware of what is truly the most important retirement planning concept.  To me, when it comes to retirement planning nothing is more important than ensuring you take full advantage of your 401(k) match.

Doing so ensures that you jump-start your retirement savings with other people's (think: your boss') money.  Failure to maximize your 401(k) match means you're literally turning down free money.

What do you think is the most important part of retirement planning?

Receive a really good birthday present this year?  Buy your girlfriend some really nice earrings?  Don't worry, neither of those gifts are likely to cause you to owe any gift tax (unless, of course, you spend money on jewelry like Kobe Bryant did a few years ago).

Nonetheless, there are some important concepts to be aware of if you ever make a large gift.  Gift tax is only assessed on the person who makes the gift, not the person who receives it. Furthermore, you can easily give up to $13,000 each calendar year without triggering any gift tax.  (You can give an unlimited amount to your spouse provided your spouse is a U.S. citizen). After that, it starts to get very complicated.

Fortunately, I'm simplified the gift tax rules for you. Take a few minutes to learn all about the basics of gift tax.

Nearly every investment category had poor performance during 2008.  As a result, many people, including experts, began to call for the end of asset allocation as a key investment strategy.  Asset allocation, in its simplest form, is the investments world's equivalent of saying, "Don't put your eggs in one basket."  More specifically, asset allocation is about ensuring that you have your money invested in various asset categories (e.g., stock, bonds, cash-equivalents) in such a manner that they represent your true risk profile.

Learn more about asset allocation, including links to online calculators that will help you develop asset allocations of your own.