Your Retirement Readiness Checklist

Evaluating your retirement plan can be more manageable if you break it into smaller steps. [Morningstar](?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_improvingfinances&utm_content=54770&elqTrackId=ac2355267f8e4901b9c90448d0e7e5fd&elq=a02154a0ebfd459a90bb9395eae0b866&elqaid=54770&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=27821) [Improving Your Finances] Improving Your Finances with [Christine Benz]( [Christine Benz] [A Retirement Readiness Checklist]( As the mother of six kids, one of whom had special needs, my mom was organized, to say the least. She carefully calibrated her schedule to accommodate her many responsibilities, and she relied on lists, always lots of lists, to keep everyone and everything on track. My sisters and I once found a checklist of to-dos, complete with addenda for packing the suitcases and food, that she had written before a family vacation. It was as detailed as if she had been a military general taking us all into battle. My mom knew then what research has subsequently proved and what whole books have been devoted to: Using checklists can help us avoid mistakes, be more efficient, and reduce stress. Checklists can also take seemingly enormous, daunting jobs—like taking a family of eight on the road for two weeks—and make them seem doable by breaking them into smaller, more manageable steps. Gauging your financial affairs in advance of retirement is a job that lends itself well to a checklist. Of course, financial management before and in retirement is so complex that I’d recommend that you also obtain professional help, or at least a second opinion on your plan, before you embark on it. But even if you ultimately end up employing a financial advisor to be your guide as you prepare to retire, using a checklist can help you comprehend the key variables that will make your retirement plan succeed or fail. It can help you course-correct before it’s too late. If you're starting to think about retirement and what your retirement plan should look like, here's a checklist to help you think through the key variables. [Find Out More]( Share: [facebook]( [twitter]( [linkedin]( ADVERTISEMENT [media]( [media] [Do You Need More Than 3 Buckets?]( Determining how many retirement buckets are enough. [Watch Now]( [Jamila Souffrant: ‘What Type of Life Do You Actually Want to Live?’]( What to understand before you craft your life and financial goals. [Listen Today]( [Ed Slott: How Rules on Eligible Designated Beneficiaries Changed for Inherited IRAs]( Making sense of what’s new in 2024. [Watch Now]( [Do Sector Funds Merit a Place in Investors’ Portfolios?]( Other than energy stocks, most sectors haven’t brought much to the party. [Read More]( [Should You Buy and Hold an Artificial Intelligence Portfolio?]( The lesson from internet stocks. [Find Out More]( Get Top Stock Picks and Market Insights Every Week on The Morning Filter. Every Monday morning, Susan Dziubinski sits down with Morningstar Chief U.S. markets strategist Dave Sekera to discuss what's on his radar, new Morningstar research, and stock picks or pans for the week ahead. [Watch Now.](morningstar/streams?utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_improvingfinances&utm_content=54770) Stay connected: [twitter]( [facebook]( [linkedin]( [instagram]( [YouTube]( [Apple News]( [View online]( | [See all newsletters]( | [Share your feedback]( [Unsubscribe]( from this newsletter. Or update your [email preferences](. © 2024 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 22 W. Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602