MEMO · To: everyone within ten years of retiring
Retire Memo
Plain-English memos on the decisions around retiring: when to claim Social Security, enrolling in Medicare, turning savings into income, and settling into life after work.
* Required minimum distributions start at 73 for people born 1951–1959 and at 75 for those born in 1960 or later.
In this album
Social Security
All Social Security memos →
Social Security · October 2026
Working While Collecting Social Security: How the Earnings Test Really Works
Read the memo · 3 min read
Social Security · October 2026
Social Security Survivor Benefits: Who Qualifies, How Much and the Switching Strategy
Read the memo · 3 min read
Social Security · September 2026
Social Security Spousal Benefits: The Up-to-50% Rule and How Timing Affects It
Read the memo · 3 min readMedicare
All Medicare memos →
Medicare · October 2026
IRMAA: How Your Income From Two Years Ago Raises Medicare Premiums, and How to Appeal
Read the memo · 3 min read
Medicare · October 2026
Original Medicare Plus Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: Networks, Costs and the Underwriting Trap
Read the memo · 4 min read
Medicare · September 2026
Medicare's Initial Enrollment Period: The Seven-Month Window and the Part B Penalty
Read the memo · 4 min readRetirement Income
All Retirement Income memos →
Retirement Income · October 2026
Pension Lump Sum vs Monthly Annuity: Questions to Ask Before You Choose
Read the memo · 3 min read
Retirement Income · October 2026
Health Insurance Before 65: COBRA vs ACA Marketplace Plans for Early Retirees
Read the memo · 4 min read
Retirement Income · October 2026
