For many federal employees the process of planning to retire focuses

largely on calculating their CSRS or FERS retirement annuity and other

benefits in order to get an outlook on what's in store financially in retirement

years.

And, financial advisers nearly always focus on how much someone should be

saving (such as in the Thrift Savings Plan).  

But, as retirement expert Mark Miller explains, "know this, too: You'd also

better start whittling down your pre-retirement debt, especially your credit

cards and mortgage."

Miller warns on MoneyWatch.com that "pre-retirees today are carrying

unprecedented levels of debt, which could become a big problem for them when

they're ready to stop working. "

Click here to read

his full column which included a helpful crash course on how to

reduce your debt.