Home › Guides › 10-Year Retirement Checklist

Retirement Checklist: What to Do in the 10 Years Before You Retire

By the Can I Retire Calc team · Last updated October 30, 2026 · General education, not personal advice

The ten years before retirement are the most important planning window. You have enough time to make changes, but not enough time to wait. This checklist walks through what to do, roughly in order. You do not need to finish everything at once. Pick one or two items each year.

Ten to five years before

• Know your number. Estimate your retirement spending and use the calculator to see whether your savings are on track.
• Raise your savings rate. If you are 50 or older, ask about catch-up contributions to your workplace plan and IRA, and check the current limits on irs.gov.
• Get your Social Security estimate. Create an account at ssa.gov and check your earnings record for errors.
• Ask about any pension. Request a benefit estimate and find out your options for how to receive it.
• Reduce high-interest debt. Credit cards and personal loans cost far more than most investments earn.
• Take full advantage of any employer match.
• Review your investments. Check your mix of stocks and bonds, and make sure the risk matches your comfort and your timeline. Learn about sequence of returns risk.
• Check your fees. Small differences in fund fees grow into large amounts over decades.

Five to two years before

• Plan your healthcare. If you will retire before 65, price out coverage until Medicare begins. See your options.
• Decide when to claim Social Security. Compare ages 62, 67 and 70. Read the trade-offs.
• Think about your housing. Will you stay, downsize or move? Consider whether to pay off the mortgage.
• Build a cash cushion of one to two years of spending to avoid selling investments in a downturn.
• Test-drive your budget. Live on your expected retirement income for a few months and see how it feels.
• Review insurance such as life, disability and long-term care, and decide what you still need.

The last two years

• Plan your withdrawals. Decide which accounts to use first. Taxes matter here, so consider a short session with a tax professional.
• Check legal documents. Make sure you have an up-to-date will, power of attorney, healthcare directive and correct beneficiaries on all accounts.
• Talk to your employer's benefits office. Ask about retiree benefits, final pay, unused leave and how to roll over your 401(k).
• Confirm your Medicare enrollment dates and sign up on time.
• Write a spending plan for the first year, including one-time costs like travel and home repairs.

Plan for the non-financial side

Retirement is not only about money. Think about how you will spend your time, stay social and keep a sense of purpose. Many people find a gradual transition, such as part-time work or phased retirement, easier than stopping all at once.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Rules and limits change; confirm details with official sources or a qualified professional. See our Disclaimer.