Retirement Checklist
Use this as your first pass if you want a practical look at the planning decisions that often matter most in the years before retirement.
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Explore practical retirement guidance, plain-English planning terms, articles, videos, and tools designed to help you make better-informed decisions.
Start Here
If you are not sure where to begin, this page is meant to point you toward the most useful next step instead of sending you into a long list of disconnected resources.
If you are nearing retirement, already retired, or trying to make sense of income, taxes, Social Security, Medicare, or portfolio decisions, this is a good place to start.
- Start with the checklist if you want a practical overview.
- Read an article if you are working through a specific decision.
- Watch a video if you prefer to hear Asta explain the topic directly.
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Read a practical article on the final years before retirement and the planning moves that can shape how the transition feels.
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These are some of the planning areas people ask about most often as retirement gets closer and decisions start to feel more immediate.
Retirement
Guidance around preparing for retirement, stepping into retirement, and making the transition feel more organized.
- Retirement readiness
- Income planning basics
- Timing and major decisions
Investment
Planning ideas for aligning investments with your goals, time horizon, and comfort with risk.
- Portfolio strategy
- Risk and diversification
- Market perspective
Estate
Estate planning is about more than documents. It is about making sure your wishes are understood, the right people are involved, and your financial plan stays coordinated with your legacy goals.
- Reviewing whether beneficiary designations still match your intentions
- Thinking through how accounts, wills, and trusts work together
- Coordinating planning conversations with attorneys and family members
Insurance
Insurance needs often change as retirement gets closer. What made sense years ago may no longer fit your income needs, family responsibilities, or broader financial picture.
- Reviewing existing life insurance and whether it still serves a purpose
- Thinking through long-term protection needs as work income winds down
- Making sure coverage decisions fit the rest of the retirement plan
Tax
Tax-aware planning topics that can affect how much of your retirement income you actually keep.
- Withdrawal strategy
- Year-round tax planning
- Retirement tax questions
Money
Everyday money choices still shape retirement success. Cash flow, spending comfort, emergency reserves, and debt decisions can all affect how confident retirement feels in real life.
- Building a spending plan that feels realistic and sustainable
- Thinking through debt payoff, reserves, and major expenses
- Creating habits that help money decisions feel less stressful
Lifestyle
Retirement is about more than numbers. Where you want to live, how you want to spend your time, and what kind of flexibility you want all shape the planning conversation.
- Thinking through work, travel, family time, and daily rhythm
- Clarifying what you want retirement to feel like in practice
- Making sure the financial plan supports the life you are building
Planning Glossary
A few retirement planning terms show up often. Here are short, plain-English explanations to make them easier to understand.
Fiduciary
A fiduciary is legally obligated to act in your best interest when giving advice, rather than being guided by commissions or product sales.
Fee-only
Fee-only means an advisor is paid directly by clients and does not receive commissions for selling financial products.
RMD
Required Minimum Distributions are the minimum withdrawals the IRS requires from certain retirement accounts once you reach the applicable age.
IRMAA
IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount and refers to higher Medicare premiums for people above certain income thresholds.
Roth Conversion
A Roth conversion moves money from a pre-tax retirement account into a Roth account, usually creating taxes now in exchange for different tax treatment later.
Trust
A revocable trust can usually be changed during your lifetime, while an irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed easily once created.
Need Help Applying This to Your Situation?
Articles and videos can be useful, but retirement planning gets much clearer when your own income, taxes, priorities, and goals are part of the conversation.
Good Next Steps
- Read the newest articles on the blog.
- Review the retirement readiness checklist.
- Watch a short video or interview from Asta.
- Schedule a conversation if you want personalized guidance.
