In-depth guides
The big questions, answered in depth
Reference guides for the years from your last paycheck to Medicare. Being written and checked now.
Read now: shorter guides on the same questions
- 8-minute readHealth insurance before Medicare: your options when you retire earlyRead
- 7-minute readGetting to your money before 59½Read
- 7-minute readThe 4% rule, and where it falls shortRead
- 8-minute readFIRE on a public servant's salary: firefighters, police and teachersRead
- 6-minute readPension check or lump sum? What people weighRead
- 8-minute readFIRE for business owners, doctors and dentistsRead
Coming in the in-depth guides
When can I stop?How much is enough, how long it has to last, and how to reach your money before the usual ages.9 guides planned
How much do I need to retire early
Coming soonA plain way to find your own number, starting from what you actually spend.
The 4% rule explained
Coming soonWhat the rule of thumb says, where it came from, and where it falls short.
Sequence-of-returns risk
Coming soonWhy the order of good and bad market years matters most right after you stop.
Social Security at 62, 67 or 70
Coming soonHow the age you claim changes your monthly check for life.
Spousal benefits
Coming soonHow a husband's or wife's work record can shape what you collect.
Rule of 55
Coming soonHow leaving a job in or after the year you turn 55 can open that employer's 401(k) early.
72(t) payments
Coming soonA way to draw on retirement accounts before 59½ without the early-withdrawal penalty, and its strict rules.
Roth conversion ladder
Coming soonMoving money into a Roth account a step at a time so you can use it before 59½.
What to do the year before you retire
Coming soonA checklist for the last twelve months of work.
How do I cover health care until 65?The years between your last job and Medicare are where many early-retirement plans get expensive.4 guides planned
Health insurance before 65
Coming soonYour options once a job's group plan ends, side by side.
The 2026 ACA subsidy cliff
Coming soonWhat changed this year for help paying for marketplace (ACA) health insurance, and who it affects.
How to keep income under the cliff
Coming soonWhy the income you report matters so much before 65, and the levers people use.
COBRA vs ACA
Coming soonKeeping your old employer's plan versus buying your own on the marketplace.
What will Medicare cost me?Signing up on time, choosing the right kind of coverage, and the income-based charges that surprise people.5 guides planned
Medicare enrollment timeline at 65
Coming soonWhen to sign up, and why missing a deadline can cost you.
Medigap vs Medicare Advantage
Coming soonThe two main paths through Medicare, and the trade-offs between them.
Part D basics
Coming soonHow Medicare drug coverage works and what to compare.
IRMAA explained
Coming soonThe extra Medicare charge for higher incomes (the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), and how it's figured.
How a Roth conversion changes Medicare premiums
Coming soonWhy income from two years ago can raise what you pay for Medicare today.
For public servants with a pensionFirefighters, police officers, teachers, military members and government workers often have a pension, which changes the math of retiring early.4 guides planned
How a pension fits a FIRE plan
Coming soonWhy a monthly check for life can shrink the savings you need on top of it.
Retiring early from public service
Coming soonYears of service, early-retirement reductions and what to check before you go.
457(b), 403(b) and the TSP
Coming soonThe savings plans many public servants have, and how their withdrawal rules differ.
Military retirement and FIRE
Coming soonRetirement pay, the Blended Retirement System, and life after a service career.
For small business and practice ownersOwners of shops, firms and practices, from contractors to dentists and physicians, face their own questions about timing, taxes and coverage.2 guides planned
Retiring early from your own business or practice
Coming soonWhat changes when the business and the job are the same thing.
Selling a business or practice and your taxes
Coming soonHow the way and the year you sell can change what you keep.