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Retire
A plan for income that lasts, not just a savings number.
Annuity types compared: SPIA, DIA, FIA and MYGA
What each main annuity type does, what it costs, what is guaranteed and when it fits, side by side and without the sales pitch.
Catch-up savings after 50: a late-start retirement plan
If you're over 50 and behind, higher contribution limits, a few years of focused saving, smarter Social Security timing and working a little longer can close more of the gap than most people expect.
Fixed indexed annuities, explained honestly
A fixed indexed annuity protects your principal from market losses and credits part of an index's gains, but caps, surrender charges and rider fees mean it suits some savers and not others.
The 4% rule and its limits
The 4% rule is a useful starting point for retirement withdrawals, but it was built on past U.S. returns, a fixed 30 years and rigid spending, so most people do better with a flexible version.
How much do you need to retire?
Your retirement number comes from your spending, not your salary: subtract lifetime income from what you'll spend, then size savings to cover the gap for as long as you might live.
The income floor: covering essentials for life
Cover your must-pay retirement bills with income that lasts for life, then let the rest of your savings take measured risk.
Inflation in retirement: keeping your buying power for 30 years
Even mild inflation can halve what a fixed income buys over a long retirement, so a strong plan mixes inflation-adjusted income, inflation-protected bonds and growth assets.
Medicare basics and IRMAA: what retirement health care really costs
Medicare has four parts, a strict sign-up window and income-based surcharges called IRMAA, so planning when you enroll and how much income you show can save thousands.
Pension lump sum vs monthly annuity: how to choose
Taking your pension as monthly income gives you a paycheck for life, while a lump sum gives you control and flexibility; the right answer depends on your health, other income, spouse and discipline.
Bucket strategies for retirement income
A bucket strategy splits retirement savings by when you'll need the money, so near-term spending sits in safe assets and long-term money can stay invested through downturns.
Retiring as a couple: one plan for two lives
Couples face choices singles don't: two retirement dates, two Social Security claims, survivor income, a younger spouse's health cover and the tax change after a first death, so the plan should be built for both and for the survivor.
Retiring before 65: how to cover health care until Medicare
Early retirees need a health plan for the years before Medicare, and with the Marketplace subsidy cliff back for 2026, how you shape your taxable income can matter as much as which plan you pick.
Roth money in retirement: your most flexible dollars
Tax-free Roth money gives retirees control: it can smooth tax brackets, keep Medicare surcharges down, protect a surviving spouse and pass to heirs tax-free, so when you spend it matters.
Sequence-of-returns risk in plain words
Why the order of market returns matters most in the first years of retirement, and how buffer assets help you avoid selling low.
Social Security timing basics
When you claim Social Security changes your check for life. Here is how 62, 67 and 70 compare, and how to decide.
SPIAs, DIAs and QLACs: building an income floor in depth
Income annuities turn a lump sum into a paycheck for life; here is how immediate annuities, deferred income annuities and QLACs differ and how each one fits an income floor.
Tax-free retirement buckets
Spread savings across taxable, tax-deferred and tax-free buckets so you can choose how much tax you pay each year in retirement.
The retirement paycheck: turning savings into steady monthly income
Retirees spend more calmly when money arrives like a salary, so set up one paycheck account, automatic monthly transfers from savings, tax withholding and a once-a-year raise review.
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