My Comments: Some of us are organized and some of us are not and the rest of us are ‘sorta/kinda’ organized. I’m in the ‘sorta/kinda’ organized group.

I am, however, heavily invested these days in teaching others a process to follow when thinking about their future retirement. I’ve created an internet school called Successful Retirement Secrets™ where I’ve written and published two courses on the topic. (click on the image to the right to explore them…)

Meanwhile, for those of you who need help being an organized person, this checklist from Laurie Burkhardt with help from Kelly Henning is a great way to get started.

Laurie Burkhardt, CFP  \ June 26, 2017

As financial planners, we are often asked, “Will I be OK in retirement?” Before looking at a client’s assets and expenses in order to answer that question, we ask corresponding questions such as, “What do you want your retirement to look like?” Each individual’s perspective on retirement is unique. Some people want to remain in their current house and community. Others wish to downsize and stay in the area close to family and friends. There is yet another group that wants to leave the expensive Northeast states and move south or west. Thus, it’s crucial to expand on a client’s retirement goals earlier rather than later.

The checklist below illustrates different items to think about as retirement approaches, from ten years before until right after retirement begins. The earlier one starts planning for retirement, the more prepared one should be not only financially, but also emotionally.

A Strategic Pre-Retirement Checklist

Five to ten years before targeted retirement:

• Brainstorm retirement goals and dreams of what retirement will look like.
• Think about where you want to live and whether you want to downsize.
• Revisit goals and time frame annually.
• Obtain annual credit report.
• Pay down mortgages and other debt to strive to become debt-free by retirement age.
• Revisit progress toward achievement of retirement goal, and adjust retirement contributions and/or spending as appropriate.
• Review estate planning needs and update documents, titling and beneficiaries as needed. Consider long-term care insurance.

One to five years before targeted retirement:

• Attend pre-retirement workshop and/or consider personal life coach to help prepare for transition.
• Get comprehensive medical, dental and vision exams while still covered by employer insurance plans.
• Consider Social Security claiming strategies.
• Request estimate of pension or retiree medical benefits.
• Get educated about Medicare options.
• Revisit estimated budget for income and expenses anticipated in retirement.

Six to 12 months before targeted retirement:

• Income tax planning
  • Speak with accountant about expected new income bracket and how to plan for it.
  • Discuss possible Roth conversions or other tax planning strategies.
  • Are you eligible for any outside retirement plan contributions?
• 401(k) Plan
  • Plan to max out contributions for current year.
  • Confirm that all funds in 401(k) accounts are vested.
  • Confirm whether funds are pre-tax only, or pre-tax and after-tax.
  • Coordinate with wealth manager to keep 401(k) funds in plan or roll to an outside IRA.
  • If rolling to an outside IRA, open new account and obtain account number and custodian address/wire instructions for future deposit.
  • If retiring between 55 and 59 ½, consider waiting to rollover due to options to take penalty-free withdrawals from 401(k) in year of retirement, or take 72t distributions for at least 5 years.
• Pension Benefits
  • Obtain all pension benefits available through current employer.
  • Determine whether or not a lump sum pension option is available and whether it is preferable for you.
• Other Qualified and Non-Qualified Retirement Benefits
  • Obtain information on all additional plans offered by the company and information on vesting, tax, and transfer of these accounts.
• Social Security Benefits
  • Login to http://www.ssa.gov, create account and obtain a current benefits statements.
    • Be sure to complete this step for spouse.
    • If divorced, contact Social Security directly at (800) 772-1213 and obtain information on taking benefits as ex-spouse.
  • Coordinate Social Security Analyzer tool with benefits statements to determine claiming strategy.

Two to three months before retirement:

• Review Paid Time Off
  • If you have any accumulated sick days, vacation time or other PTO days, determine if/how you will be paid for these days.
• Advise Supervisor and HR Representative in writing of desired retirement date.
  • A specific date may be agreed upon(e.g., first week in January depending on payroll and other items).
  • Consider date which you will be eligible for year-end bonus or other benefits, including 401(k) matches, profit sharing, or stock options.
• Request Retirement package of paperwork from HR.
  • Depending on the size of the company, HR will generally provide its own packet of paperwork and forms that need to be completed.
• Determine date for exit interview with HR/supervisor.
• Make final decision on all insurance, including medical, dental, vision and life insurance (timing will depend on company policies).

One month before retirement:

• Obtain the paperwork to roll your 401(k) (or other retirement accounts) out of the plan into an outside account, if that’s the choice you’ve made.
  • Complete paperwork and contact HR to see if plan administrator signature is required.
  • Paperwork will be sent in following retirement date.

One week before retirement:

• Confirm that HR retirement package has been completed and all relevant documents are signed.
• Clean-up desk/emails, etc.
• Remove any personal/private information from work email and computer.

Post Retirement

• Submit 401(k) rollover paperwork following retirement date.

The Bottom Line

There are many decisions to consider as one prepares for retirement, from healthcare considerations to account logistics. Understanding the timeframe of essential tasks well in advance of your retirement date can be key to reducing stress in the months before you stop working. Employers will have deadlines on paperwork submission, some of which will be your last day of work or thirty days after.

Knowing these deadlines and seeking information in advance is essential. Use all available resources, such as your company’s human resources department and your various professional advisors, to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Source article: https://www.investopedia.com/advisor-network/articles/090916/planning-retirement-checklist-approach/#ixzz5VuZQfiW8