(MONEY Magazine) – Q. I plan to retire in 12 years, when I'm 73. The problem is, for the past 17 years I've been educating seven kids, which means I haven't been able to save much money for my own future. And I still have 14-year-old twins to put through college. I have no pension plan at work, but I received six engineering patents last year and I expect annual five-figure royalties to start coming in soon, though I don't know how long they'll continue. How can I build up a retirement fund fast? William Priest SAN ANTONIO

A. Building an adequate retirement stake from scratch that quickly won't be easy. But having already put five kids through college, you're clearly not afraid to take on tough financial challenges. And fortunately for you, there are tax-advantaged savings plans available that can make your task much easier. For starters, your inventiveness will pay off in more ways than one. Because royalties are considered self-employment income, you can stash as much as 20% of the earnings from your patents (up to the legal limit of $30,000) in a tax-deferred retirement plan, such as a simplified employee pension (SEP) or a Keogh. You should also contribute $2,000 a year to an Individual Retirement Account. Every penny you put into these vehicles will be deducted from your current income, cutting your annual tax bill (your IRA contributions are tax deductible because you are not covered by a pension plan at work). And the money in the accounts grows tax-free until you withdraw it, giving your savings another significant boost.

Even with their tax advantages, though, SEPs, Keoghs and IRAs can't do the job by themselves. Therefore, as soon as you are able--and certainly once the twins are through college--you will need to set aside at least another 10% of your total annual income for your retirement fund. (For suggestions on the best ways to invest that money, see the story on page 72.) Meanwhile, don't be shy about stressing your age and impending retirement when you apply for college financial aid for the twins. If anybody has earned a break on tuition bills, it's certainly you.

Q. Two years ago I received a $250 U.S. Savings Bond from my employer as a bonus, but I can't find it now. Is there a way to get it replaced, or am I out the money? Long Tran SANTA ANA, CALIF.

A. You're not out; you're safe, because the Bureau of Public Debt will replace any bond that hasn't been cashed by its proper owner. Just call the Savings Bond Operations Office (304-480-6112) and ask for Form 1048. Once you have filled it out and returned it, the bureau will search its records and, if the bond hasn't been redeemed, issue you a new one. If the bond has been redeemed, the bureau will be able to tell you when it was cashed in and where. If fraud was involved, the bank that cashed it will investigate. Surprisingly--given how many bonds are thrust into the hands of the highly distracted, such as newlyweds and high school and college grads--the bureau receives few requests for replacements. As a result, the process takes only a month or so.

By the way, you might collect a bit more than you think, because there is no $250 denomination in savings bonds. You probably have a $500 bond, which cost $250 to purchase and is worth more than $275 today.

Q. During my job exit interview, my former employer, American Airlines, told me that I'd receive my remaining pay by certified mail in a week or so. But then American notified me that my final check had been deposited to my checking account. Thinking I now had extra money in my checking account, I didn't bother transferring money from my savings account to pay checks as I'd planned. A few days later, my checks starting bouncing. I found out that American Airlines had reversed the direct deposit and had taken back the money. Neither American nor the bank notified me of this. As a result, I racked up $250 in fees for bounced checks. The bank voluntarily waived the fees. But I still look like a deadbeat to my creditors. Can an employer just take money back out of my account once it has put it in? Chris Boult HURST, TEXAS

A. Clearly, the electronic superhighway needs a few more traffic rules. Under the regulations governing direct-deposit plans, your employer isn't authorized to withdraw money from your account. But it can indeed reclaim money it deposited by mistake. Consumers have some protections, however. A withdrawal must be made within five days of an erroneous deposit. And if you dispute the withdrawal, your bank has to restore the money even before it investigates your claim.

But here's where things get tricky. Illogically, as you found out, no one has to alert you about the withdrawal in the first place. And it can be awfully difficult to dispute something you don't know about. While this mix-up wasn't your fault, you'd have spared yourself some grief by simply questioning either the bank or your employer about the unexpected deposit.

Q. Just after World War II, I contributed $25 to the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, a group organized to warn Americans about the dangers of atomic weapons. Its chairman was Albert Einstein, and I received a typewritten thank-you note with his signature at the bottom. I still have the note, and I'm wondering what it's worth. Lillian Stanley EAST MEADOW, N.Y.

A. Unfortunately, the most you'll get from this keepsake is your memory of an exceptional man. What you have is almost certainly not an actual signature but a facsimile produced by lithograph. The fact that the typeface used on your name in the greeting is larger than the body text indicates that your thank-you note is a form letter with a mechanical signature. As such it has no monetary value.

What would a genuine autograph be worth? Because Einstein was such a prolific writer, passionate about many issues, his signature is not especially rare. It usually fetches about $500 to $2,000, depending on the importance of the document. That wouldn't have made you rich but, on the other hand, it would have been better than nothing. So you see, even the value of Einstein's autograph is relative.

Reporter associate: Barbara Solomon

Send your question, plus your name, address and phone number, to

MONEY Magazine/Money Helps Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center New York, N.Y. 10020

Send electronic mail to money_helps@moneymail.com