Retirement, step by step
Plain-language help with retirement choices
For people comparing 401(k)s, IRAs, Social Security and pensions. Read the trade-offs, then test your own numbers in simple worksheets.
- 10 guides
- 5 topics
- 4 tools
Pick the decision in front of you
Five topics, each with guides on the common questions.
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The guides most people need first. Swipe through.
About 30 minutes to set upFree401(k) Match: Why to Contribute Enough to Get It
About 20 minutes to decideFreeRoth IRA vs Traditional IRA in Retirement Planning
About 1 hour to reviewFreeWhen to Claim Social Security: How to Weigh the Choice
About 1 hour a yearFreeAre You on Track for Retirement? Simple Checks
Years of planningFreeWhat You Need to Retire Early: A Realistic Plan
About 30 minutes to planFreeHow a Pension Fits Into Retirement Income
A weekend to set upFreeRetirement Savings Behind in Your 40s? What to Do First
About 30 minutes to decideFreePay Off Your Mortgage or Invest for Retirement?
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The start-here page gives you a simple order to follow, with links to the most useful guides and tools.
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Early Retirement · FreePay Off Your Mortgage or Invest for Retirement?
Early Retirement · FreeAre You on Track for Retirement? Simple Checks
401k · FreeRetirement Savings Behind in Your 40s? What to Do First
401k · Free401(k) or Roth IRA Next? How to Choose After the Match
IRA · FreeRoth IRA if Your Income Will Rise: What to Weigh
Pension · FreeHow a Pension Fits Into Retirement Income
Early Retirement · FreeWhat You Need to Retire Early: A Realistic Plan
Social Security · FreeWhen to Claim Social Security: How to Weigh the Choice
IRA · FreeRoth IRA vs Traditional IRA in Retirement Planning
401k · Free401(k) Match: Why to Contribute Enough to Get It
Tools you can use today
No sign-up. They work on the page.
Retirement Savings Gap Worksheet (Hypothetical Projection)Type your savings, yearly contribution, years to go, an assumed return and a target to see a hypothetical projected balance and the gap or surplus.401(k) Match Calculator: Employer Money Captured vs Left BehindType your pay, your contribution percent and your plan's match formula to see employer dollars captured and left on the table. We supply no formula.Retirement Planning by Decade: A Tickable Review ChecklistA printable checklist of questions to review in your 20s and 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. No figures, no advice: just prompts to check your own plan.Retirement account types: what each is for and how to compareCompare workplace plans, traditional and Roth IRAs, pensions and Social Security by purpose and trade-offs. No limits quoted, official sources named.
- Checked against sourcesFigures are compared with published guidance and dated.
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- Fixes are loggedWhen a guide changes, it is recorded with the date.