Retirement · Timeline by age
The retirement timeline, by age.
Retirement decisions cluster around specific ages. Knowing what is coming when helps you prepare instead of react.
Age 50–59
Catch-up contributions to retirement accounts become available at 50. This is the period to project retirement cash flow, identify gaps, and build the savings runway. Insurance decisions are still driven by employer coverage.
Age 60–62
Medicare planning should start. Begin the Advantage vs. Supplement conversation early — not the month before your 65th birthday. Social Security claiming becomes possible at 62, though early claiming permanently reduces your benefit.
Age 63–64
The eighteen-month Medicare countdown. Inventory your medications, your providers, your travel patterns. Confirm employer coverage rules if you plan to keep working. This is the right time to meet with a Medicare advisor.
Age 65
Medicare eligibility. Initial Enrollment Period runs three months before through three months after your birthday month. This is when most major decisions lock in. See the Turning 65 Checklist for the month-by-month detail.
Age 66–69
Full Retirement Age for Social Security falls in this range depending on your birth year. Decisions about claiming Social Security, working past 65, and reviewing Medicare plans annually each fall.
Age 70+
Maximum Social Security benefit if you have delayed claiming. Required Minimum Distributions from traditional retirement accounts begin at 73 (for most). Estate and legacy planning becomes more central.
Next step
Map out your specific timeline with us.
The structure is the same; the dates are yours. We will pull together your timeline, identify the decisions on the horizon, and walk through them.