Everybody knows about the sandwich generation. That's us. We have kids in college and aging parents who may need financial help. We - the boomers - are smashed in between, trying to pay for it all and save a little something for our retirement too. No surprise - it isn't going so well. Only about 40% of boomers have managed to save $100,000 or more, and hardly anyone is maxing out a 401(k) plan.

We've managed to ignore the financial challenges associated with aging for a long time; until recently they've mostly been in our future. But for more and more of us the future is now, and the stress is starting to show. A Money Magazine survey found boomers less satisfied at this time in life than previous generations - with our finances, our careers, our health and even our marriages. We aren't just singing, "I can't get no satisfaction." We're living it.

Still, things aren't as dire as they seem. It's time to identify what's bothering you and take some action. Is it your job? Lack of savings? Not being able to retire anytime soon? If it's your marriage that's leaving you flat, you'll have to go elsewhere for guidance. But for the money stuff, try this:

Consider the root cause

Part of the problem may simply be that our expectations started out so high. We were, after all, the

The good news: mortgage rates are down. The bad news: it's much harder to qualify for a refinanced loan these days.

What's more, the borrowers who need to refinance the most - because their adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are resetting to higher interest rates - are among those having the most trouble winning approvals.

"I'm turning away about 60% to 75% of the clients who come to me for a refi," said Bob Moulton, president of Americana Mortgage Group on Long Island, N.Y. "Some don't have enough equity and others have bad credit scores."

During the boom years, lenders approved most anyone with a pulse. Not so today. Mortgage brokers recognize this and are now being very selective about the clients whose applications they choose to submit to the likes of Wells Fargo or Bank of America.

If an applicant has poor credit, or a home whose value is rapidly deteriorating, they're just not going to bother.

"If the person is Sweet Polly Purebread - good income, good assets, high credit score - there's money out there," said Moulton. "But if not, then it's harder."

Interest rates are way down - 5.67% is the going rate for a a 30-year fixed loan this week, according to