The Real Rules of Retirement for Women (and Men too!) INTRODUCTION Policy experts use the analogy of a three-legged stool to illustrate the three components needed for adequate retirement income: a Social Security retired-worker benefit, an employer sponsored pension and individual savings. Although none of these sources of income is assured, each is an essential element for replacing pre-retirement income, and each piece is integral to the success of the whole. Analysts currently estimate that male employees must plan to replace at least 60 t ....