Seeking retirement experts to discuss key retirement moves people should be making now if they plan to retire next year. Some sample questions, or provide your own commentary. US-Based Sources ONLY. You must be in a financial planning/advising/retirement space. What are the top 1-2 moves you believe someone targeting retirement in 2026 absolutely must make—and why? From your experience, what are the most common regret-worthy omissions you see among people planning to retire in the next 12–18 months? How has the landscape changed (taxes, regulation, markets, interest rates) in 2025-2026 so that the “standard retirement playbook” no longer works as well? For someone planning to retire in 2026, how should they revise their assumptions about how much they need to save, how long their money must last, and how they’ll draw it down? What specific tax or contribution deadlines or “windows” exist for 2026 retirees that they should watch? What role do you see emergency reserves, debt pay-down, and liquidity playing for someone in the 2026-retirement cohort? How would you advise someone to stress-test their retirement plan in this environment (e.g., market risk, inflation, healthcare cost escalation)? What changes to the order or timing of income sources (Social Security, pensions, 401(k), IRAs, Roth conversions) do you recommend for someone retiring in 2026 versus retiring later or earlier? What are the behavioral or psychological traps that people planning 2026 retirement tend to overlook (e.g., “I saved enough so I’ll spend freely,” or “I’ll just play it by ear”)? If you met someone today who is fully ready to retire in 2026, what would their checklist look like at this moment? What would you ask them to have already locked in or lined up?

One of the biggest trends that future retirees need to keep in mind is that medical expenses will almost always cost more than you think. As medtech continues to advance, it's now easier than ever to increase our longevity, but this greater and longer-term access to healthcare can make for a glaring omission in retirement planning. Failing to budget for more substantial medical expenses and the possibility of the need for more long-term care that Medicare is incapable of covering can be dangerous. You should budget for all eventualities, as this can quickly eat into your savings and impact your comfort as a retiree. The taxation outlook is also changing rapidly, and key individual provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 will expire at the end of the year. If this isn't extended, you may find yourself paying higher marginal income tax rates, which can affect the value of pre-tax retirement contributions and the tax implications of withdrawing money throughout your retirement. The disruption to US markets and the economy following tariff uncertainty earlier this year and a clouded outlook for domestic monetary policy serve as a reminder that it can be challenging to plan for the long term. With this in mind, you should always look to save more than you believe you need.

The sooner it gets down to the business of maximizing retirement account contributions, the better. Regardless of whether it is an IRA, 401(k), or any other plan, increasing savings within the next few years will guarantee a more comfortable retirement. Check your estate planning documents. Most people ignore reviewing the wills or trust plans, and this may cause problems in the future. It is better to make sure all is set before the time runs out than to be stressed and ultimately have to face a court case in the future. Regarding ordinary regrets, most individuals do not estimate the cost of healthcare during their retirement. One must be prepared to face increasing medical costs and long-term care insurance since they can consume a lot of savings.