Search
34 results for “social security”.
Articles (29)
All articles
60s
When to Sign Up for Medicare: Deadlines, Penalties & Working Past 65
Your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, when coverage starts, when you can wait because you're still working, the Part B and Part D late penalties, the HSA 6-month trap, and 2026 Medicare costs including the IRMAA income thresholds.
All ages
Retirement Planning for Speech-Language Pathologists: School, Hospital & Private Practice
An SLP's work setting decides the retirement plan: school pensions plus 403(b) and 457(b), hospital 403(b)s, or a private-practice Solo 401(k). BLS pay by setting, 2026 limits, Social Security after the WEP/GPO repeal, and what to do this week.
All ages
Emergency Fund vs. Retirement Savings: Which Comes First?
Build a starter emergency cushion and grab your employer match at the same time, then grow both. How much to keep (and what the CFPB actually says), where to keep it, why a 401(k) is a poor emergency fund, and how much cash to hold once you're retired.
All agesHow to Use an HSA for Retirement (The Stealth IRA)
A Health Savings Account can be the most tax-efficient retirement account there is — triple tax-advantaged. Here's how to use an HSA as a stealth retirement fund.
60s+When to Claim Social Security: Age 62 vs 67 vs 70
Claiming Social Security at 62, at full retirement age, or at 70 changes your monthly check for life. Here's how the trade-off works and how to decide.
All agesFree Retirement Calculators & Tools: FINRA, SSA, Portfolio & Savings-Goal
A guide to the best free retirement calculators and tools — savings-goal, portfolio analyzer, compound interest, plus the official SSA and FINRA tools — and when to use each.
All ages
The Best Communities That Discuss Retirement
Some of the best retirement learning happens in communities of people going through the same decisions. Here are well-known forums and communities where retirement, investing, and financial independence are discussed — and how to use them wisely.
50s
Best States to Retire: The Top 10, Ranked
Which states are best for retirement? We rank the top 10 US states for retirees — weighing taxes, cost of living, climate, and healthcare — with a clear reason for each. Florida, Tennessee, and Texas lead the list, but tax dark-horses like Pennsylvania earn a spot too.
50s
What Retirement Looks Like for a Teacher
Teachers retire differently from most workers: many rely on a state pension plus a 403(b), and a 2025 law change restored full Social Security for many educators. Here's how the pieces fit together.
50s
Is Social Security Raising the Retirement Age?
The Social Security 'full retirement age' has already risen from 65 to 67, and proposals to raise it further come up regularly. Here's what's actually changed, what's being proposed, and how to plan through the uncertainty.
All ages
At What Age Can You Retire? Every Milestone, Explained
At what age can you retire? Legally there's no minimum — you can retire whenever you can afford it. But a series of specific ages unlock penalty-free access to your money and your benefits: 55, 59½, 62, 65, 67, 70, and 73. Here's each one explained, with the numbers and a claiming-age chart.
All ages
How Much Do You Need to Retire? By Household, With Real Numbers
How much do you need to retire? It depends on your life. A single renter, a mortgage-free homeowner, a couple, and a family need very different amounts. Here's the simple formula, the bare-minimum floor, and specific nest-egg targets for each household type.
All ages
How Inflation Impacts Retirement (And How Much More You'll Need)
Inflation quietly raises the cost of the same retirement lifestyle every year. See how much more you'll need in the decades ahead versus the past — and how to protect your savings.
All ages
Social Security Retirement, Explained
Social Security is the backbone of most U.S. retirements. This explains how your benefit is calculated, how claiming age changes it, spousal and survivor benefits, and how to check your own numbers.
All ages
Retirement Planning: Where to Begin
If retirement planning feels overwhelming, the fix is an order of operations. This is a clear, step-by-step starting path that works whether you're 25 or 55, plus the benchmarks to measure progress.
All ages
What Is Retirement? A Complete, Plain-English Guide
Retirement is the stage of life when you stop working for income and live on money you've built up — from Social Security, employer plans, and personal savings. A complete, plain-English guide to what retirement is, where the money comes from, how much you need, and when you can retire.
50s
The Best Places to Retire in the US: Cities and Towns
The best place to retire in the US depends on your budget, climate, and lifestyle, but a handful of cities and towns keep topping the lists. Here's a detailed guide to what makes a place great for retirement, the most tax-friendly states, and standout cities and towns for warmth, the outdoors, healthcare, and low cost.
All ages
How Much Should You Have Saved for Retirement by Age?
Age-based retirement savings benchmarks as multiples of your salary: 1x by 30, 3x by 40, 6x by 50, and 10x by age 67 — with a chart, a dollar table, what they assume, and how to catch up if you're behind.
60s
What Is the Best Retirement Age?
There's no single best retirement age, but there are clear, measurable trade-offs at each common age. This breaks down what changes for your Social Security, Medicare, savings, and taxes at 62, 65, 67, and 70.
All ages
When Can I Retire? The Exact Ages, Rules, and Amounts
‘When can I retire?’ has two answers: when the rules let you, and when you can afford to. Here are the specific ages and laws — the Rule of 55, 59½ withdrawals, Social Security from 62 to 70, Medicare at 65, and RMDs at 73 — plus the dollar-amount test for whether you can actually afford it.
All ages
Which Retirement Plan Do You Get? A Guide by Occupation
Your job decides your retirement toolkit. A plain-English map of which plans each type of worker gets — private-sector 401(k), teacher pensions plus 403(b)/457(b), federal FERS and the TSP, nonprofit 403(b), and self-employed SEP or Solo 401(k).
50s
Retirement Planning in Your 50s: 2026 Catch-Up Limits & a 10-Year Checklist
Your 50s are the catch-up decade: 2026 limits at 50+ and the 60-63 super catch-up, the Rule of 55, health insurance before 65, Social Security timing and an 8-step checklist to get from where you are to a retirement date.
Retirement goals
Retirement Planning by Profession: 2026 Targets & Account Limits
How your profession changes your retirement math — 2026 IRS contribution limits, a computed nest-egg target for your income, pensions, and self-employed accounts.
All ages
Crypto Tax Strategies for Retirement
From the one-year holding rule to tax-loss harvesting (which crypto uniquely allows today) to donating appreciated coins and timing income in low-bracket years, these are practical, legal strategies to reduce the tax drag on crypto over a lifetime.
40s
Catching Up on Retirement in Your 40s (When You Didn't Plan)
Behind on retirement in your 40s? You're not out of time — with 20+ years left, an aggressive savings rate, catch-up contributions, and a few focused moves can still build a real nest egg. Here's a step-by-step catch-up plan for people who didn't get an early start.
All ages
What Retirement Plans Are — and How to Set and Achieve Them
'Retirement plan' means two things: the accounts (401(k), IRA, Roth, pension, HSA) and the actual plan for using them. This covers both — what each account does, and a repeatable system to set goals and hit them.
All ages
What Is a Retirement Age?
There isn't one retirement age — there are several, each unlocking something different: penalty-free withdrawals, Social Security, Medicare, and required withdrawals. Here's what each key age actually means.
All ages
TRS vs. 403(b) for Texas Teachers (2026): How They Work Together
For Texas teachers, TRS and a 403(b) are not either/or: TRS is your pension (years x 2.3% x average salary) and a 403(b) or 457(b) is how you save on top. 2026 limits, and what the WEP/GPO repeal changed.
60s
Retirement Planning in Your 60s: Social Security, Medicare & Withdrawals
The decade the plan turns into paychecks: the key ages from 60 to 73, when to stop working, when to claim Social Security, Medicare at 65, a tax-smart withdrawal order, pension elections and a 7-step checklist.
Directory (5)
All resourcesIRS Publication 554 — Tax Guide for Seniors
Budgeting & SavingThe IRS's tax guide for older adults: filing requirements, the higher standard deduction for people 65 and older, how Social Security benefits, pensions and IRA withdrawals are taxed, and credits such as the credit for the elderly or disabled.
View details →Open Social Security
Social SecurityA free, open-source calculator for the mathematically optimal time to claim.
View details →Social Security Administration
Social SecurityCreate a my Social Security account to view your benefits and earnings record.
View details →SSA — Income Taxes on Your Benefits
Budgeting & SavingHow much of your Social Security benefit is taxable, with the provisional-income thresholds explained.
View details →SSA Quick Calculator
Calculators & ToolsA fast, rough estimate of your future Social Security benefit.
View details →