In your final 12 mo before retiring, your choices matter more than volatile markets or politics.
Start with a retirement spending plan: lifestyle spending based on take-home pay, plus health insurance and taxes.
Estimate health costs via retiree coverage, a local broker, Healthcare.gov pre-65, and Medicare Plan Finder after 65.
Social Security timing can be costly: people may miss ~$180K by filing early using incomplete break-even data.
Investment shifts shouldn’t wait for retirement day; use a process and prepare up to 3–5 yr early.
I’m seeing how the final stretch before retirement is all about smart decisions, not headlines. The focus is on planning spending, choosing Social Security timing carefully, and adjusting investments well before paychecks stop.
