Fidelity Investments

Parents and their adult children say they want to have honest conversations about finances and retirement issues, but they just don't agree on when to talk, according to a survey released today by Fidelity Investments.

Here's some good news. 

Oof. The latest estimate of an average American couple's retirement health care costs is $240,000. The calculation, from Fidelity Investments, is based on a 65-year-old couple with Medicare coverage, and factors in things like premiums, co-pays, deductibles and out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. It doesn't factor in things like long-term care, dental services, over-the-counter meds or hearing aids.

Employees contributed more to their 401(k) plans in 2011, according to Fidelity Investments, and matching contributions from employers were up, too. But despite this uptick in contributions, the year-end average for Fidelity's 401(k) participants was down.