Retirement Articles
Practical explainers and guidance for retirement decisions.
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What Medicare Does Not Cover in Retirement
Medicare can be an important part of retirement healthcare, but it does not cover every medical, dental, vision, hearing, travel, or long-term care need. Knowing what is not covered helps retirees build a better cash reserve and care-cost plan.
Retirement
Should You Use Home Equity for Retirement Income?
Home equity can strengthen retirement income, but it is not free cash. Before using the house for liquidity, compare downsizing, borrowing, reverse mortgages, ongoing housing costs, survivor needs, care risk, and the role the home still needs to play.
Retirement
How Should You Estimate Healthcare Costs in Retirement Beyond Medicare Premiums?
Medicare premiums are only the visible starting point. A realistic retirement healthcare estimate also needs to account for Medigap or Medicare Advantage structure, Part D costs, out-of-pocket exposure, dental and vision spending, and the bad-year risk the plan still has to absorb.
Retirement
How to Turn Retirement Savings Into a Paycheck
Retirement income planning is the work of turning savings, Social Security, pensions, cash reserves, withdrawals, and possible annuity income into a paycheck that can last through changing markets and changing needs.
Retirement
Should You Use an Annuity in Retirement?
An annuity can make sense in retirement when part of the job is turning savings into more predictable income, but it is not a default fix for retirement anxiety. The stronger question is what income problem the annuity is solving, what flexibility it gives up, and how it fits with Social Security, pensions, portfolio withdrawals, survivor planning, and taxes.
Retirement
Fixed, Indexed, and Variable Annuities: What Is the Difference?
Fixed, indexed, and variable annuities can all sit inside retirement planning, but they do very different jobs. The key differences are how growth is credited, who bears market risk, what fees and formulas apply, and whether the contract is mainly about accumulation, income, protection, or flexibility.
Retirement
What Fees Should You Check Before Buying an Annuity?
An annuity can look simple when the pitch focuses on income, guarantees, or market protection. The fee review is where the real tradeoff becomes clearer: surrender charges, rider costs, mortality and expense charges, fund expenses, spreads, caps, taxes, and what flexibility the contract gives up.
Retirement
Should You Use a QLAC in Retirement?
A QLAC can make sense in retirement when part of the goal is creating guaranteed income later in life while reducing the balance counted for required minimum distributions in the meantime. The stronger question is whether delayed income later is worth the liquidity you give up now.
Retirement
Should You Use an Immediate Annuity or Keep the Money Invested?
An immediate annuity can turn part of a lump sum into predictable income soon after purchase, while keeping the money invested preserves liquidity, growth potential, and legacy flexibility. The stronger choice depends on whether the retirement plan most needs more dependable income now or more control over the money later.
Retirement
Should You Use a Deferred Annuity in Retirement?
A deferred annuity can make sense in retirement when part of the job is creating income later, not right away. The stronger question is whether the contract is solving a real later-life income problem or just adding cost, complexity, and less liquidity to a plan that still needs flexibility first.
Retirement
How Should You Compare Annuity Payout Options for a Surviving Spouse?
The highest annuity payment is not always the strongest option for a married household. Comparing payout options for a surviving spouse usually means deciding how much current income to give up in exchange for income that continues after the first death.
Retirement
What Happens to the House When One Spouse Dies in Retirement?
After one spouse dies in retirement, the house can become both shelter and a financial decision. The surviving spouse may need to review title, mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, reverse mortgage rules, upkeep, downsizing, home equity, and whether the home still fits the one-person income plan.
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