The 10 Retirement Decisions No One Warns You About
Retirement is not one decision. It is a series of healthcare, financial, housing, family and lifestyle decisions that often affect one another. In this episode, Michelle introduces ten important choices that deserve attention before and during retirement.
Episode 1 is coming soon
The completed Coffee with Michelle video will appear here.
Closed captions and a written transcript will be available with the completed episode.
About This Episode
Most people expect retirement planning to involve choosing a retirement date and enrolling in Medicare. In reality, retirement includes many connected decisions involving where you live, how you receive healthcare, when you claim Social Security, whether you continue working and how you prepare your family for the future.
The purpose of this episode is not to give you ten more things to worry about. It is to help you see the full picture so you can identify which decisions need your attention first.
What You Will Learn
- Why retirement decisions should not be made in isolation
- How healthcare, housing and income decisions can affect one another
- Why caregiving and long-term care belong in the retirement conversation
- Which documents and personal information should be organized
- How to begin identifying your own retirement path
The 10 Retirement Decisions
Where Will You Live?
Where you live can influence housing costs, taxes, access to doctors, Medicare plan availability, family support and your daily quality of life.
How Will You Get Your Healthcare?
Your healthcare path may involve employer coverage, Marketplace coverage, Medicare, VA benefits, TRICARE or a combination of options.
When Will You Claim Social Security?
The age at which you claim Social Security can affect your monthly income for the rest of your life.
Will You Keep Working?
Working past 65 can affect Medicare enrollment, employer coverage, Health Savings Account contributions and Social Security decisions.
Who Will You Care For?
Retirement plans can change when you are caring for a spouse, aging parent, adult child or another family member.
Are Your Legal Documents Ready?
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare directives can help your family act if you cannot make decisions for yourself.
How Will You Prepare for Long-Term Care?
Long-term care planning includes more than insurance. It may involve family support, housing choices, savings and community resources.
What Will You Do With Your Home?
Your home may be a place to remain, an asset to sell, a source of income or a major expense that changes over time.
Is Your Life Organized?
Important documents, insurance information, accounts, passwords and family instructions should be stored in a way trusted people can access when needed.
What Kind of Retirement Do You Want?
Retirement planning should not focus only on avoiding problems. It should also help you create a life that feels meaningful, secure and enjoyable.
🐝 Bee Prepared
Do not make major retirement decisions in isolation. A decision involving your home, income, work or healthcare may affect several other parts of your retirement path.
Read the Episode Transcript
Open Episode Transcript
The full edited transcript will be added here after the episode has been recorded and finalized.
Including the transcript will make the episode easier to search, improve accessibility and allow viewers to revisit important parts of the conversation.
Which retirement decision should you address first?
Start with the Retirement Readiness Assessment or schedule a conversation about your Medicare and retirement situation.