One-page checklists
A short list for each big decision. Print one, tick it off with a pen, and bring it to your next appointment. These are prompts for thinking, not advice.
Before you claim Social Security
Tick each box as you go. Date: ______ Name: ______________________
- Get your own numbersSign in at ssa.gov/myaccount and write down your monthly amount at 62, at full retirement age, and at 70.
- Know your full retirement ageIt is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later. The statement shows yours.
- Find the higher earnerIn a married couple, the higher earner's claiming age sets the last check in the house.
- Check your spouse's checkWrite down what your spouse would live on if you go first (the larger of the two checks).
- Cover the waiting yearsList where the money comes from between now and the age you plan to claim. Count months of cash, not just a hope.
- Are you still working?Claiming before full retirement age while working can hold back benefits ($24,480 a year limit in 2026).
- Check the taxEstimate whether other income will make part of your benefit taxable (up to 85%).
- Check health and family historyWaiting pays off the longer you live. Be honest about your own situation.
- Run the free toolPut your three numbers into Claim Check and note the break-even ages.
- Decide, then write down whyNote the date and reason, so you can revisit it if life changes.
Free tool: Claim Check · Guide: When to claim Social Security: 62, 67 or 70?
honestcents · General information, not financial, tax or legal advice.
Before you pay off the mortgage
Tick each box as you go. Date: ______ Name: ______________________
- List the loanBalance, rate, monthly payment (principal and interest only), and years left.
- Name the moneyWhere would the payoff come from: paycheck, cash, or a retirement account? A retirement account withdrawal is taxed.
- Check the rateCompare your loan rate with the best safe rate you could earn, after tax.
- Protect the cushionWrite down your monthly spending and how many months of cash you would have left. Under six months is a warning light.
- Run the survivor testIf one Social Security check disappeared, what share of the remaining check would the payment take?
- Check the Medicare lineWould a large withdrawal push your income over a Medicare surcharge line two years later?
- Try the paycheck planFind the extra monthly amount that clears the loan by the age you want.
- Ask about the loan termsCheck for prepayment penalties and how extra payments are applied to principal.
- Run the free toolPut your numbers into Payoff or Keep It and compare the three plans.
Free tool: Payoff or Keep It · Guide: Pay off your mortgage before you retire? Five questions to ask first
honestcents · General information, not financial, tax or legal advice.
Before you convert to a Roth
Tick each box as you go. Date: ______ Name: ______________________
- Know your income this yearWages, pension, interest and other taxable income, before the standard deduction.
- Ask: can cash pay the tax?Paying the conversion tax from the retirement account itself shrinks the benefit and adds more tax.
- Find your bracketSee which layers of the tax brackets the conversion would fill, from the bottom up.
- Check the Medicare linesIncome two years from now sets your Medicare premiums. Find the line you would cross, if any.
- Check the Social Security taxMore income can make more of your Social Security taxable.
- Think in slicesCompare a small, a middle and a full conversion. Smaller slices over several years often cost less.
- Compare with laterEstimate your tax rate in retirement. Convert only if today's rate is clearly lower.
- Check your plan's rulesSome 401(k) plans do not allow conversions inside the plan.
- Remember it cannot be undoneA conversion is final. Confirm the numbers with a tax professional first.
- Run the free toolPut your numbers into Roth Check and look at all three amounts side by side.
Free tool: Roth Check · Guide: Roth conversion: the three checks to run before you convert
honestcents · General information, not financial, tax or legal advice.
Tip
To print just one checklist, scroll to it and use your browser's print dialog to choose that page. Or ask for "Selection" when printing after highlighting one.