Pre-Retirement

Retirement is not a number — it's an income problem. How you draw down assets, when you take Social Security, and how you manage taxes in retirement determines whether your money lasts.

Most Americans have the majority of their retirement savings in tax-deferred accounts. That means the IRS is a silent partner in your retirement. The goal now is to shift toward tax-free income.

Medicare starts at 65. If you retire before that, healthcare is your largest expense — and your largest risk. One serious illness before Medicare can devastate a retirement plan.