1. What would your top three rules be?

a) The 4% rule. Aim to be able to fund your retirement by withdrawing only 4% from your nest egg per year. To figure out how much to save up for, take your annual expenses, subtract your expected pension income (including social security), then multiply by 25.
b) Aim for a combination of steady yield, with growth potential. Don't make the mistake of being 100% in stocks or 100% in bonds. By retirement, you'll want some secure fixed that bonds provide, but also upside growth potential to hedge against inflation. For my clients, I am to build a portfolio of mostly dividends stocks by their retirement date.
c) Max out any employer matches. This is free money and is almost always more impactful than any other retirement investing decision.

2. What are the biggest changes (if any) you’ve seen in retirement planning or strategy over the last few years?

I see so many people taking a passive investing approach in their retirement accounts. This is surprising, because the only way to avoid losses from a market downturn is by active investing. I suspect that many investors are choosing only one approach, where a blend might be the best option.

3. How would you advise someone who feels really stuck? (Maybe they feel they haven’t saved enough, or they don’t know where to start, etc.)

For any investor who is worried that the market is too high to invest in, I recommend a scheduled approach. By investing at consistent intervals, investors can avoid the risk of overpaying. If stock prices decline, they buy in at a lower average cost (aka dollar cost averaging). If instead, the market goes up, they won't have overpaid.

4. What are some common mistakes or traps in retirement planning? How would you avoid or remedy them?

(See 1.b)

5. What single thing could I do in the next week that will make a difference for my retirement?

Estimate your social security income. By understanding what income you will have, you can then figure out what you need to make up for by saving and investing.