You Might Encounter Devastating Surprises in Retirement If You're Currently Ignoring This Personal Finance Metric Preparing for a comfortable retirement goes far beyond contributing to a 401(k).

Although seven in ten Americans (69%) plan to retire, of those who don't think they will, 42% believe they'll never have enough savings to do so, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Prudential, per Talker Research.

However, as crucial as diligent saving in 401(k)s and other retirement accounts is, it's not the sole factor in determining a comfortable retirement. Even retirees with sizable nest eggs might struggle if they underestimated other personal financial metrics over the years — like their credit score.

Related: There's a Retirement Crisis on the Horizon — See How Your Savings Compare to the Rest of Your Generation's