This is the most important post of this entire series. I’m not joking. The financial aspects of retirement are just one piece of the puzzle in the later years of your life. A solid financial plan makes no difference if your mental and physical health goes downhill, your relationships suffer, you’re bored with nothing to do that you enjoy, and you have no purpose in getting up in the morning.

Benjamin Franklin famously wrote “Nothing is certain except death and taxes”. Well, we discussed taxes in the last post so let’s move on to death. You are going to die one day. Most of us don’t want to talk about it or think about it. That fact that it is a certainty makes it one of the rare occurrences in your financial life where we can plan for it definitely happening.

When thinking about retirement and taxes, people are often fixated on retiring to states with no income taxes. Although this is something you definitely need to think about, it’s only one piece of the tax planning puzzle in retirement. This post will discuss the moves you should consider when saving for retirement, how to manage your tax bracket during retirement, and ways to position your investments to pay less taxes.

Making decisions about where you’ll live in retirement is a big deal. Some retirees dream of moving to a warmer climate. Some retirees want to move closer to grown children and their families. Others want to stay put in the home they’ve lived in for many years. It’s clear that this decision is an emotional one.

There’s a saying about the best laid plans… No matter how good your retirement plan is, unexpected expenses can blow it up. Regardless of how careful you are about navigating the risks of the market and planning for a long life, what are you going to do when you can’t take care of yourself?

Health insurance in our country is a hot mess. If you think it gets any easier/better when you’re planning for retirement, you are going to be disappointed. It’s important to go into this understanding your options. You also need to be aware of the mistakes you can’t afford to make.