The money moves
This is the short game: the years where a bad market right before or right after retirement can do outsized damage. The countermoves happen now: building the steady near-term bucket, mapping which accounts you'll draw first, deciding Social Security timing with real numbers, and answering the care question while coverage is still affordable and available.
The life moves
Practice retirement before you buy it. Take the longer trip and see if you actually like month-three of leisure. Try the volunteer gig now. Talk with your spouse about what Tuesdays look like. Specifically, not romantically. Couples who compare pictures three years early get to fix mismatches while they're conversations instead of crises.
Ten questions in the Picture Check will tell you which of these needs your attention first.
Written by the team at The Retirement Life, led by Rc Arseneau, CFP®. This is education, not individualized advice. Your situation deserves a real conversation before any decision.