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Life Event Checklist

Retirement Checklist

Retirement changes how income arrives, how health coverage may work, which accounts you rely on and how you organize the next stage of your life. Use this checklist to review the pieces that deserve attention before and after you retire.

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This checklist is educational and organizational. Retirement, tax, investment, insurance, health and legal decisions can be highly personal, so use appropriate professional guidance where needed.

Retirement Is More Than a Date

Make sure the systems around your life are ready too.

Income, health care, documents and household plans all deserve a review.

1
Income Know where retirement income will come from and when it begins.
2
Health Coverage Plan the transition from employer coverage where applicable.
3
Beneficiaries & Legal Documents Review designations, powers and estate documents.
4
Life After Work Review housing, spending, records and ongoing annual checks.
Before the Last Day of Work

Make the transition easier by organizing the moving pieces early.

Retirement often means several systems change at once. Paychecks may stop, retirement income begins, employer benefits may change and household spending can look different than it did during working years.

Use this page to identify what is already in place, what needs another look and what deserves action before the transition is complete.

Retirement planning does not stop when you retire.

Income, beneficiaries, insurance, health needs, housing and legal documents can continue to change. Build an annual review into the plan from the start.

Your Retirement Readiness Review

See what is ready and what still needs attention.

Mark each item Ready, Review, Action Needed or Not Applicable.

0 Ready
0 Review
0 Action Needed
0 Not Applicable
Checklist Progress 0 of 0 reviewed
Ready
Review
Action Needed
Not Applicable
Retirement Checklist

Review the systems that change when work is no longer the center of the plan.

Not every retirement looks the same. Use Not Applicable for items that do not fit your situation and focus on the areas that actually affect your household.

Retirement Income

Know where income will come from and when it is expected to begin.

List expected retirement income sources Identify the accounts, pensions, benefits and other income sources you expect to rely on.
Review expected monthly income Estimate how much regular income may be available after leaving work.
Review when each income source begins Make sure there are no unexpected gaps between the final paycheck and retirement income.
Review how withdrawals may be handled Understand which accounts may be used first and how withdrawals fit the broader retirement plan.

Social Security

Review timing and household implications before claiming benefits.

Review your current benefit estimate Check the official estimate available to you before making a claiming decision.
Review claiming timing Understand how the age at which benefits begin can affect the amount received.
Review spouse or survivor considerations Consider household and survivor implications where those benefits may apply.

Retirement Accounts

Organize the accounts that may support retirement income.

Review employer retirement plans Know what you have, where it is held and what options apply after employment ends.
Review IRA accounts Make sure account records, contacts and beneficiary information are current.
Review pension benefits if applicable Understand available payout options, start dates and survivor choices before making an election.
Organize retirement account records Keep account contacts, statements and important plan documents where they can be found.

Health Coverage

Plan for how health coverage works after employment changes.

Review when employer health coverage ends Know the exact transition point so there is no unexpected gap in coverage.
Review Medicare timing where applicable Understand enrollment timing and how Medicare may coordinate with other coverage.
Review prescription coverage Check current medications and how they are covered under the health plan you expect to use.
Review doctors and provider networks Confirm whether preferred providers remain accessible under the coverage you plan to use.

Insurance Review

Retirement can change which protections still make sense.

Review life insurance Consider whether current coverage still matches your income, debts, dependents and estate goals.
Review long-term care planning Consider how future support or care needs fit into the broader retirement plan.
Review home, auto and umbrella coverage Make sure coverage still reflects your property, vehicles and liability exposure.
Organize insurance documents Keep current policies, declarations pages and claims contacts easy to locate.

Beneficiaries

Retirement is a good time to verify designations across major accounts.

Review retirement account beneficiaries Confirm designations directly with each plan or account provider.
Review life insurance beneficiaries Make sure current primary and contingent beneficiaries reflect your intentions.
Review POD and TOD designations where applicable Check beneficiary arrangements on bank, brokerage and other financial accounts.

Retirement Budget

Build the spending plan around life after work.

Estimate essential monthly expenses Review housing, food, utilities, transportation, insurance, health care and other recurring costs.
Review discretionary spending Include travel, hobbies, entertainment, gifts and other lifestyle expenses you expect in retirement.
Plan for irregular expenses Include home repairs, vehicle replacement, medical costs and other large expenses that may not occur monthly.
Compare expected income with expected spending Look for gaps before retirement rather than discovering them after income changes.

Cash & Emergency Fund

Keep enough liquidity for surprises and short-term needs.

Review your emergency fund Consider how retirement changes the amount of cash you want available for essential expenses.
Review short-term cash needs Plan for upcoming taxes, insurance premiums, repairs and other known expenses.
Review access to liquid accounts Make sure the household knows which accounts are available for routine and emergency cash needs.

Debt

Know which obligations will continue into retirement.

Review mortgage or housing debt Understand how housing payments fit into the retirement budget.
Review credit cards and other loans Know which recurring debt payments will continue after employment income ends.
Review debt-payoff priorities Decide which obligations deserve attention before or during the retirement transition.

Taxes

Retirement can change where taxable income comes from.

Review the tax impact of retirement income Understand that pensions, withdrawals and other income sources may be treated differently for tax purposes.
Review withholding or estimated payments Check whether the way taxes are paid needs to change after employment ends.
Organize tax records Keep retirement income documents, prior returns and other important records together.

Housing

Make sure the home fits the retirement plan financially and practically.

Review total housing cost Include mortgage or rent, taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance and association fees where applicable.
Review maintenance responsibilities Consider the cost and physical demands of maintaining the current home over time.
Review future housing needs Consider location, accessibility, transportation, family proximity and changing household needs.

Legal & Estate Planning

Make sure important documents still reflect your wishes.

Review your will or estate documents Make sure existing documents still match your current wishes, assets and family situation.
Review financial power of attorney Confirm who can act on your behalf if you cannot manage financial matters yourself.
Review health care decision documents Make sure advance directives and health care decision arrangements are current where applicable.
Review the estate plan after major changes Marriage, divorce, death, relocation, property changes and new family responsibilities may justify another review.

Documents & Records

Make important information easier to locate when work routines change.

Organize retirement records Keep pension, retirement account, benefit and income documents in one reliable system.
Organize insurance records Keep health, life, home, auto and long-term care documents current and accessible.
Create a map of where important records are kept Help a trusted person locate essential documents without putting sensitive numbers into a checklist.

Digital Life

Keep online access organized when workplace systems disappear.

Review personal email and contact information Make sure important accounts do not depend on an employer email address or work phone you will lose access to.
Review your password system Use a secure method for managing credentials and recovery information.
Review emergency digital access Make sure a trusted person could locate essential digital information if you were unavailable.

Retirement Lifestyle

Plan for how time, spending and daily routines may change.

Think through your new daily routine Consider how work will be replaced by family time, hobbies, volunteering, travel or other activities.
Review travel and leisure spending Include planned lifestyle expenses in the retirement budget rather than treating them as an afterthought.
Review transportation needs Consider vehicles, public transportation, driving needs and future mobility changes.

Annual Retirement Review

Keep the plan current after retirement begins.

Review retirement income annually Check whether income sources and withdrawals still match household needs.
Review insurance annually Look for changes in coverage, premiums, household risks and care needs.
Review beneficiaries after major changes Confirm designations after family, account or estate changes.
Complete an annual life review Use one regular review to revisit money, insurance, health, legal documents, housing and family responsibilities.
Retirement Changes the Rhythm

Four areas that deserve more attention once work changes.

Income

Instead of relying primarily on a paycheck, retirement may involve several income sources with different timing and tax treatment.

Health Coverage

Leaving an employer can change how health coverage works, making transition timing especially important.

Documents

Retirement is a natural time to organize account records, beneficiaries, estate documents and trusted access.

Annual Reviews

Retirement is not a one-time setup. Household needs, health, insurance and income can continue to change.

Your Priorities

See what needs action before or after retirement.

Items marked Action Needed appear first. Review items stay separate so you can work through them deliberately.

Action Needed

These are the retirement items you marked as needing action.

  • No items marked Action Needed yet.

Review

These are the items you want to check more closely.

  • No items marked Review yet.
Keep Financial Details Private

Use this page to track tasks—not account details.

Do not enter Social Security numbers, retirement account numbers, bank account numbers, policy numbers, passwords, tax identification numbers or private medical information into this checklist.

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Related Have These Now Resources

Connect retirement to the rest of your life plan.

Money & Financial Foundation

Review emergency savings, accounts, debt, retirement records and the broader financial foundation.

Review Your Money Plan →

Insurance Review Checklist

Review health, life, home, auto, umbrella and long-term care coverage in one place.

Review Insurance →

Beneficiary Review Checklist

Check beneficiary designations across retirement accounts, insurance and other financial arrangements.

Review Beneficiaries →

Annual Life Review

Review the major areas of your life once a year so your retirement plan stays current.

Start Annual Review →
A New Stage. A Current Plan.

Retirement works better when the important systems around it stay organized.

Income, health coverage, beneficiaries, housing and legal documents can continue to change after the last day of work. Build the habit of reviewing them instead of treating retirement as a one-time event.

Start an Annual Life Review →

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