RETIREMENT GUIDES
Learn About Retirement
Straightforward guides to help you understand retirement income, spending, taxes, and the decisions ahead.
40 guides across 5 topics
Explore the guides
Find a clear answer to your retirement question.
12 guides
How Long Will $500,000 Last in Retirement?
$500,000 will last approximately 17–25 years in retirement, depending on your annual spending, investment returns, and whether you have Social Security or other income. At the common 4% withdrawal rate, $500,000 produces $20,000 per year — which, combined with Social Security, can fund a modest but sustainable retirement for many people.
13 min readHow Much Does Healthcare Cost in Retirement? A Realistic Estimate (2026)
Fidelity's 2026 estimate is $185,500 for a 65-year-old and about $371,000 for a couple, excluding long-term care.
20 min readThe Biggest Expenses in Retirement (and How to Plan for Them) (2026)
The five biggest expenses in retirement are housing, healthcare, food, transportation, and taxes — in that order for most Americans. But what surprises most retirees isn't the categories themselves, it's the amounts. Healthcare consistently runs 50–100% higher than people budget. Long-term care — which most people don't budget for at all — can wipe out decades of savings in a few years. And taxes on traditional retirement account withdrawals often add $5,000–$15,000/year that people didn't account for.
20 min readReady to put the ideas to work?
Bring your numbers together in the Plan Builder, or explore a single question with a free calculator.