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The median retirement savings for Americans age 55 to 64 is $185,000.

Fidelity says you should have six times your salary by 50. For someone earning $75,000, that's $450,000.

Most people are nowhere near that. And retirement doesn't come with a warning period — it arrives on the date you set, ready or not.

Here's how to know exactly where you stand, and what to do if you're behind.

How to Tell If You Are Behind on Retirement Savings and What to Do About It Most people have a vague sense of whether their retirement savings are on track. A quarterly statement arrives, they glance at the balance, feel either relieved or mildly anxious, and move on. What very few people do is sit down and measure where they actually stand against where they need to be.