The answer, according to Consumer Reports Money Adviser, is that this is one of those situations in life where there are things we can control and others we can’t. And we might as well not mess up the former.

In that spirit, here are seven common mistakes most of us can avoid if we choose to:

– Not having a plan. Many of us reach middle age with little more than a vague notion of our plans for retirement. At a minimum, all of us ought to have at least a best-guess estimate of (a) how much money we’ll need to retire, and (b) how much we’ll have to save and invest each year to get there. Also worth considering: (c) how we plan to use our time and energy in retirement.

– Not having alternative plans. These days one plan is no longer enough. You might plan to retire early, late or never, but your employer might have different ideas. So it makes sense to have at least a plan B and possibly a C, D and E. For example, what would happen if you had to retire before age 65, when Medicare eligibility begins? What if you find yourself supporting an adult child? What if you plan to sell your house but the real-estate market collapses?

– Not knowing what you’ve got. Part of any planning exercise should be a thorough inventory of investments. Besides retirement accounts, many of us have picked up an assortment of other assets over the years: shares of an ex-employer’s stock, a bit of leftover cash in a child’s 529 college savings plan — you name it. The result of sorting it all out could be a pleasant surprise.

– Underfunding accounts. Each year we don’t put as much money as we can into 401(k)s and similar tax-deferred plans, we’ve missed an opportunity. This year the limits on 401(k) contributions have risen to $22,500 for anybody over 50 and $17,000 for everybody else. Consumer Reports Money Adviser notes that it’s worth contributing as much as you can, especially if you’re entitled to an employer match.

– Wimping out on risk. There’s a sudden aversion to risk among many new retirees. With any luck, most of us could be retired for three or four decades, and a portfolio consisting of “safe” investments like CDs and Treasuries is unlikely to keep pace under even modest inflation. With inflation recently running at 3.9 percent and five-year CDs yielding an average of 1.2 percent before taxes, overly cautious retirees can lose ground pretty fast.

– Ignoring fees. Many of us were outraged recently, and rightly so, when banks started hiking debit card fees and other charges. But we seem to have resigned ourselves to retirement plan fees, which can be just as dastardly and far less transparent. In one illustration provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, a 401(k) plan charging 1.5 percent a year left a participant with 28 percent less money after 35 years than a similarly performing one charging 0.5 percent. You also need to be aware of fees on investments outside your retirement accounts.

– Depending on home equity. It’s best not to count home equity in your net worth unless you plan to sell your house and are absolutely certain how much profit you’ll walk away with. Consumer Reports Money Adviser suggests looking at home equity as a form of insurance in case your other retirement projections don’t work out exactly as planned. And given the world we live in now, that’s a possibility. Hartford Courant

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Property developer Nakheel, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, has repaid a $1.2 billion securitized bond a month ahead of its maturity date, according to two bankers familiar with the deal.

The Dubai government is also  launching bond roadshows in Europe, Asia and at home from this week in a move seen to test investor appetite for fresh financing. Dubai International Capital, a subsidiary of Dubai ruler’s investment vehicle, has launched syndication of a $550 million loan.

While these developments signal a step in the right direction, the fate of Nakheel’s $3.5 billion Islamic bond due in December and Dubai’s upcoming $10 billion support bond as well as even more maturing debt next year are the main remaining issues for investors.

“Restructuring will take quite a while. All hinges on how far markets will recover. There is a lot of debt maturing in 2010 and that will be a challenge for Dubai,” said Eckart Woertz, program manager of economics at Gulf Research Center. “They need to find refinancing and try to keep cash generating industries. They will try to reprioritize; where assets and companies are underwater you need to try to cut back or they might think about exit strategies.”

Hit by the credit crisis and liquidity crunch, developers in Dubai cancelled or postponed multi-billion-dollar construction projects with property prices halving since last year.

Dubai’s benchmark index rose 1.4 percent Monday, helped by optimism for Nakheel’s debt restructuring, while prices of its $3.5 billion sukuk maturing on December 14 rose to 106 from a low of 103 late last week.

The cost of insuring Dubai’s sovereign bond against default, measured by credit default swaps, stood at around 297 basis points , having risen to 943 bps in February.

“They are drumming up interest again. It means people will get to see firsthand and ask questions about what’s happening. It puts Dubai into communication with the market they want to tap in the future and opens the door to look at the books and the numbers irrespective of the outcome,” said Haissam Arabi, CEO of Gulfmena Alternative Investments, a regional hedge fund. “[But] We still want to see where the [next] $10 billion will be subscribed to and the future debt maturing in 2010.”

Policymakers are also sending brighter signals. Dubai’s Finance Ministry delayed the final $5.5 billion cash injection out of its $19.1 billion rescue facility as banks do not need it, according to a newspaper report.

The deputy UAE central bank governor said last week that its upcoming $10 billion bond should interest private investors, adding that Dubai has weathered the worst of the crisis.

The UAE’s central bank took up the first tranche of the $20 billion bond issue in February and Nakheel, which developed Dubai’s palm-shaped islands – has said it received the fund.

“They cannot and do not want to rely solely on Abu Dhabi for their refinance needs. Its pockets are deep but every pocket has a bottom,” Woertz said. “It’s very important to keep credibility and access to international capital markets, so I would expect that bonds and traded debt instruments are all fully and timely paid to send the right signal to the markets. Debts owed to banks might be something different, here negotiations about rescheduling may well happen behind closed doors.”

Earlier this month, Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed al-Maktoum, a member of Dubai’s financial crisis committee, said Dubai would be able to service government debt.

“The sector is working hard to digest the developer distress, but liquidity is still a very scarce commodity,” Chet Riley, equity strategist at Nomura, said in a note to clients. By Natsuko Waki and John Irish, Daily Star Lebanon.

Police searched 26 properties in the German capital in the early morning but found no concrete plans for an attack, they said. No arrests were made, but prosecutors said they were conducting investigations into the three people.

“The investigations are directed against three suspected Islamists, aged 28-years, 30-years and 36-years, who are accused of agreeing to attack Russia,” Berlin prosecutors said in a statement.

Prosecutors said they were acting on leads from abroad and from international police.

“The suspicion arose that a Berlin Islamist of Arab origins is the head of a suspected violent group of about 15 people which is planning terrorist attacks on Russia,” they said.

Some 140 investigators seized computers, storage media and outdoor clothes and found clues leading them to believe that some members of the militant group had left Germany for training camps in Pakistan, said the prosecutors.

Newspaper Bild had reported on its website that the investigations were focused on Chechens.

Prosecutors said there was no indication of any connection between the suspects and militant Islamist videos which were posted on the Internet in the run-up to a federal election in Germany on Sept. 27.

The videos warned that Germany would pay a price if voters backed a government that supported the country’s military involvement in Afghanistan, where about 4,200 German soldiers are deployed.

The Interior Ministry declined to comment on the case, saying it was a matter for Berlin authorities but a spokesman said the security situation had not changed in the last few days as there was no sign of any firm plans for an attack. By Madeline Chambers, The Star.

Trailfinders

£7,118: Discover Japan’s Cultural Treasures

Departs 10 October and includes Thai Airways flights via Bangkok, a guided tour from Tokyo to Osaka and accommodation in three to four-star hotels. “This fascinating tour offers a taste of the captivating culture of modern and historic Japan, as well as enchanting mountain scenery and beautiful gardens. You’ll also experience something unique with two colourful local festivals,” says Nikki Davies of Trailfinders. (0845 050 5871; trailfinders.co.uk)

Into Japan: Specialist Tours

£9,500: Luxury Japan Autumn Tour

Departs 18 October and includes JAL flights; touring in Kyoto, Mount Aso, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Hakone, Mount Fuji, Kamakura and Tokyo; and luxury accommodation, including traditional ryokan. “This tour takes in two fantastic festivals, the Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto and the Kurama Fire Festival as well as including a private Geisha dinner and first-class travel on the Bullet Trains. The tour follows a leisurely pace and is the ideal introduction to Japan,” says Into Japan’s Robin Hurst. (01865 841443; intojapan.co.uk)

Magical Japan

£5,980: Japan and Okinawa Highlights

Departs 15 October and includes ANA flights; touring taking in Mount Fuji, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka and Okinawa; and luxury accommodation. “Mid-October is the perfect time to view the autumn leaf changing in Japan. This tour visits must-see sights in Tokyo, Kyoto and Mount Fuji as well as experiencing the famous Bullet Train and Hakone Hot Springs. The second half of the holiday is spent relaxing on the tropical beaches of Okinawa island, staying at the prestigious Marriott Resort & Spa Hotel. Enjoy magnificent panoramic sea views from your large bedroom – as far as the facilities and room sizes are concerned, we think the Marriott is the best in Okinawa,” says Ling Davies of Magical Japan. (0161 962 9054; magicaljapan.co.uk) By The Independent.