There’s an old financial planning joke about asking a retiree when they would like for us to plan their funeral. It’s a bad joke but the reality is that when we are planning for a lifetime, we do have to make an educated guess on when that life might end.

I often get pushback when I suggest as late as 90 or 95. That pushback is fair given that the average life expectancy is about 77 – 15 to 20 years less than I would typically plan for. But average life expectancy can be deceiving. ..

For years when you would open your Social Security estimate, there would be a big number in the top right corner – the amount per month you were estimated to get at “full retirement age” (FRA).

There was a tremendous focus on this specific age, which resulted in many people assuming that was the ideal date to claim benefits…

How much do you need to retire? The answer varies by individual circumstance but simple rules can be helpful as a starting place.  JPMorgan provides a rough estimate based on your age and income level…