Retirement

The accounts, the timing and the move. 401(k)s, IRAs, Social Security, Medicare and where to live, planned before the last day of work.

GuideMarcus Vale23 Sept 20266 min

How To Plan Retirement Travel Your Budget And Knees Can Handle

Fund it like a bill, pace it like an athlete, and know what Medicare does and doesn't do once you cross a border.

When To Pay Off The Mortgage Before You Retire

The payoff decision isn't really about the interest rate. It's about which account the money comes out of, and what that does to your tax bill.

GuideMarcus Vale23 Sept 20266 min

Moving Closer to the Grandkids Without Regretting It

Before you list the house and follow your kids across three states, run these numbers and have one honest conversation.

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Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Your Will Doesn't Control Most of Your Money

Beneficiary forms, powers of attorney and a trust you actually funded do more work than the document in your safe. Here's how each piece fits.

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6 min read

How Much to Help the Grandkids Without Wrecking Your Own Plan

Two days a week turns into five. Set the number, the hours and the answer before the ask comes, and you'll still be the fun grandparent.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Long-term care is the bill most retirement plans ignore

Medicare won't pay for the help you're most likely to need. Four ways families cover it, and the paperwork that matters more than the money.

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What to Ask Before You Sign an Annuity Contract

The dinner is free, the brochure is glossy, and the contract is ninety pages. Nine questions that tell you what you're actually buying.

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GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

The Beneficiary Form Beats Your Will Every Time

A one-page form you filled out years ago decides who gets your retirement money, and most people have never looked at it since.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20265 min

What Goes Away From Your Budget At Retirement, And What Grows

Your spending doesn't fall off a cliff when the paychecks stop. It changes shape, and the parts that grow are the ones nobody budgets for.

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

The Scam Call That Sounds Exactly Like Your Grandson

Three scripts hit retirees hardest, and one household rule stops all three. Set it up this week, before the phone rings.

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GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Hiring A Financial Adviser Without Getting Sold Something

Two words decide most of it, and you can verify them for free in about ten minutes before you ever shake the guy's hand.

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GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Move Your Old 401k Without Handing the IRS a Check

The difference between a clean rollover and a surprise tax bill usually comes down to one phrase you say on the phone.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

Required minimum distributions don't have to wreck your tax year

The IRS eventually wants its cut of that 401(k). Learn how RMDs work, what the first year does to people, and the moves that soften the hit.

GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

What Part-Time Work Does to Your Social Security Check

The earnings test isn't a penalty, the money comes back, and the real traps are hiding in Medicare and your HSA.

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GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20265 min

Which Retirement Account To Spend From First

Taxable, then traditional, then Roth is the standard answer. It's a fine starting point and it's wrong often enough that you should know why.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

6 min

What to Check Before You Retire to a Small Town

5 min

Pension Choices, Lump Sum or Monthly Check

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GuideRay Okonkwo23 Sept 20266 min

How to pick a low-tax retirement state without getting burned

No income tax sounds great until the property bill and the homeowners premium show up. A plain-English way to compare states before you move.

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5 min read

Downsizing Sounds Like Free Money Until You Run the Numbers

Selling the family house rarely frees up as much cash as the kitchen-table math suggests. Do it anyway if the numbers work, but do the real numbers first.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

Older articles

Retirement

How To Plan Retirement Travel Your Budget And Knees Can Handle

The First Ninety Days of Retirement Are Mostly Paperwork

What to do with Tuesday morning when you retire

Retiring as a Couple Means Two Sets of Dates to Get Right

Budget for Tuesday Nights Before You Budget for the Cruise

What Volunteering In Retirement Actually Costs And Pays

When To Pay Off The Mortgage Before You Retire

Moving Closer to the Grandkids Without Regretting It

Your Will Doesn't Control Most of Your Money

How Much to Help the Grandkids Without Wrecking Your Own Plan

Long-term care is the bill most retirement plans ignore

What to Ask Before You Sign an Annuity Contract

The Beneficiary Form Beats Your Will Every Time

What Goes Away From Your Budget At Retirement, And What Grows

The Scam Call That Sounds Exactly Like Your Grandson

Hiring A Financial Adviser Without Getting Sold Something

Move Your Old 401k Without Handing the IRS a Check

Required minimum distributions don't have to wreck your tax year

What Part-Time Work Does to Your Social Security Check

Which Retirement Account To Spend From First

What to Check Before You Retire to a Small Town

Pension Choices, Lump Sum or Monthly Check

How to pick a low-tax retirement state without getting burned

Downsizing Sounds Like Free Money Until You Run the Numbers