NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There's an optimistic vibe here at the 2011 Benefits Selling Expo. Brokers I talk to say they're not waiting around for lawmakers to rescue their business. It's either innovate or retreat.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for baby boomers and the way they feel about retirement. They simply don't have time to innovate. And they certainly can't echo any hint of recovery as the economy gets better. Practically 25 percent of them plan on working until they die, according to a new poll from Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com.

In the worst economy since the Great Depression, it's not just the markets stirring retirement angst for Boomers. It's the fact that their kids can't get jobs, their parents can't afford long-term care, Social Security is drying up, their subsidized health care is on the verge of major reform, and no one ever really told them the truth about how much they'll need to live comfortably in the "Golden Years."