Whether you're planning to retire early or late, you might run into unexpected trouble. So plan carefully.

Even as private savings take center stage, Social Security remains an essential pillar for most retirees. The 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 helps offset inflation, especially for essentials like housing and healthcare.

These thought experiments cut through financial planning jargon to help you discover what matters most.

If your FRA monthly benefit is $2,778, for example, waiting until 70 would boost that to $3,575. Starting at 62, though, will result in a monthly payment of just $1,822. The Social Security Quick Calculator can give you a good idea of what claiming benefits early versus waiting until full retirement age (or later) will look like.

Beneficiary designations are one of the major gaps in many retirement and estate plans. A recent court case shows the importance of monitoring the designations.

This year, PLANADVISER followed up with advisers on the 2025 Top Retirement Plan Advisers listing to get to know them better. These are the responses from Robert Massa of Prime Capital Retirement in Houston, Texas. PLANADVISER: What does it take to be a ...

Retirees risk depleting their savings too soon if they don't have a plan for withdrawals. You don't want to run out of money in your senior years, so you need to limit how much you take from your accounts. There are different strategies for determining an ...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy was 75.8 years for males, 81.1 years for females, and the average for both sexes is 78.4 years in 2023. 1 But these averages don’t tell the whole story.