MFAC BLOG

In the previous article, we talked about knowing what you're retiring to, and how having something that gives your days shape beyond the paycheck is an essential part of the emotional foundation of retirement. But there's another source of stress that many retirees struggle with: figuring out how much you can actually spend. During your working years, the financial equation is relatively straightforward. Money comes in, money goes out, and if the balance is off, there are opt

In the first article in this series, we talked about the emotional weight of deciding to retire, including the identity questions, the outside pressure, and the spousal dynamics that come with it. If you've worked through those, or at least started to, you may be at the point where you're genuinely ready to step away. But before you do, there's a question worth asking yourself: What are you retiring to? The answer to that question, or the absence of one, turns out to be one o

Most retirement planning conversations focus on whether you have enough money saved for the retirement you want. But perhaps you’ve run the numbers and the portfolio is in good shape, the spending plan holds up under stress testing, and the projections say you can afford to retire. So why can't you pull the trigger? If you're stuck in that gap — between knowing you can retire and feeling like you're ready to retire, you’re not alone. In many cases, money isn't the real obsta

Most people know the basic rule: withdraw from your 401(k) before age 59½ and you'll owe a 10% early withdrawal penalty on top of income taxes. What fewer people know is that an exception exists for workers who leave their employer at 55 or later. It's called the Rule of 55, and for people in that narrow age window, allows them to tap 401(k) assets and sidestep the 10% penalty. What the Rule Actually Says The mechanics are straightforward. If you separate from your employer d

You've been contributing to your 401(k) for decades, and now that retirement is approaching, one of the first decisions you'll need to make is what to do with it. You know you should probably do something, but you're not entirely sure what, and you definitely don't want to trigger a tax bill by making the wrong move. The good news is that in most cases, a 401(k) rollover doesn't have to be taxable at all. But how you handle it matters more than most people realize, and the fi

You’ve spent the better part of your career building retirement accounts, growing investments, and accumulating the assets that are supposed to fund the next chapter. But as retirement gets closer, the focus can naturally shift from building wealth to protecting it, coordinating it, and making sure the right people and the right instructions are in place if something happens to you, and that’s what estate planning is really about. According to Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Esta

Reaching 65 is a milestone worth celebrating. And if you’ve been quietly building up a Health Savings Account (HSA) along the way, it’s also a moment that rewards a little planning — because the way HSAs and Medicare fit together comes down, more than anything, to timing. The stakes are real. Fidelity estimates that a 65-year-old retiring in 2025 may need roughly $172,500 in after-tax savings to cover health care in retirement — and yet about one in five Americans say they’ve

A blog post template displayed on a laptop screen Retiring early is the ultimate financial milestone for many. But before you hand in your resignation, there is one massive hurdle you must clear: health insurance. If you are leaving the workforce before age 65, you are stepping into the “coverage gap”—the period between losing your employer-sponsored health plan and becoming eligible for Medicare. Without an employer subsidizing your premiums, the true cost of healthcare can

A practical framework for tackling the biggest fear in retirement planning If there’s one question that keeps pre-retirees up at night, it’s this: will my money last? It’s not an irrational fear. People are living longer, healthcare costs are rising, and markets don’t move in a straight line. The good news is that outliving your assets isn’t an inevitability — it’s a risk that can be managed, measured, and in many cases, significantly reduced. The key is knowing which questio

The questions you need to answer before you walk out the door Retirement feels like a single moment — the last day of work, the first Monday morning with nowhere to be. But the financial reality is that retirement is a series of interconnected decisions, and most of them need to be made before you leave your employer. Miss one, and it can cost you real money for years. This guide walks through the major issues to consider before you retire, organized into six categories: cash