(Article by Amanda Gengler, Josh Hyatt, and Penelope Wang
from Money Magazine, January 2007)

You've got big goals, and you're working hard to reach them. Yet there's that little voice inside your head that wonders: Are you on track?

Face it: You can't help comparing yourself with the Joneses. Are you doing bettre than your neighbors, your old classmates, your parents? But the Joneses aren't the benchmarks that really matter. Other folks are. Let's call them Achievers - people who've done the big things that you want to do in your life. Comparing yourself with the Achievers is how you figure out whether you're on track to reach your financial goals or you have some catching up to do. On the following pages, you'll get to make those comparisons for five ambitious goals ranging from retiring early to sending your kid to Harvard. What you'll see as you go through the numbers is that if you set a long-term plan and stick to it, you'll likely end up as an Achiever yourself. And the Joneses will be trying to measure up to you.

We asked you about your biggest goals. Here's what you told us.

• 66% expect to be millionaires eventually
• 57% dream of starting a business
• 69% think it wil take $2 million to retire early
• 31% are saving enough for college
• 56% want a house on the beach

Start meeting your goals!

• What it takes to be a millionaire
• Own your dream home
• Send your kid to Harvard
• Retire early
• Launch your own business