Retirement Planning Articles
August 2026
Covered Call Writing as a Supplemental Income Strategy
AAII Journal Article by Alan Ellman
Selling call options can offer a third income stream when the strategy’s risks are understood.
November 2025
Investing for Life on the Smoother Path
AAII Journal Article by Chris Pedersen
The power of using a 50/50 combination of a target-date fund and U.S. small-cap value over 40 years of saving for retirement.
October 2025
This Isn't Your Grandpa's Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Cynthia McLaughlin
AAII Retirement Investing guides retirees and those saving for retirement through the constantly evolving challenges and opportunities.
08/14/2025
Why Private Investments Don't Belong in 401(k) Accounts
Investor Update by Charles Rotblut
The desire to include private investments in workplace retirement plans seems to be coming from the industry itself.
August 2025
Is 4.7% the New Safe Retirement Withdrawal Rate?
AAII Journal Article by Cynthia McLaughlin, William Bengen, Charles Rotblut
William Bengen’s latest research shows that adding asset classes allows for a higher withdrawal rate in retirement than 4%.
August 2025
A One-Page Wealth-Building Plan for FIRE and Early Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Retiring early requires careful planning, but a simplified one-page approach can help you stay focused on what matters most.
June 2025
A One-Page Wealth-Building Plan for Semiretirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Key considerations for planning a period of part-time work before full retirement.
May 2025
Moving Your Retirement Savings: The Basics of Rollovers
AAII Journal Article by Tudor Pop
Understanding the rules of retirement account rollovers can help you steer clear of unnecessary taxes and penalties.
April 2025
Retirement Reality Check: Who’s Ready and Who’s at Risk?
AAII Journal Article by Omar Beirat
Retirement readiness in the U.S. varies significantly by income level, with lower-income workers needing to replace a larger share of their pre-retirement income but facing greater shortfalls in doing so.
March 2025
Understanding the Role of Long-Term Care Insurance
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut, Howard Gleckman, Cynthia McLaughlin
Dispelling misconceptions can help you make an informed decision.
February 2025
Adviser Communication Gaps Can Lead to Inadequate Retirement Preparation
AAII Journal Article by Tudor Pop
A research study reveals a disconnect between financial advisers and their clients on whether important retirement discussions are held.
November 2024
It's Hard to Be Great at Everything, Including Investing
AAII Journal Article by Chris Pedersen
Although none of us, or our portfolios, can succeed all the time in all circumstances, we can all strive to improve our fit.
10/31/2024
How I Picked a New Fund for My 403(b)
Investor Update by Charles Rotblut
I replaced a mutual fund in my 403(b) account due to long-term relative performance.
September 2024
How to Start Saving for Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Anine Sus
Retirement will likely be your longest-term financial goal—the earlier you begin thinking about retirement, the better off you will be.
September 2024
401(k) Managed Accounts Are an Underutilized Resource
AAII Journal Article by Max Hayes
A study by Cerulli Associates outlines the value proposition of 401(k) managed accounts and their associated benefits for retirement plan participants.
08/01/2024
Avoid These Costly Retirement Account Rollover Mistakes
Investor Update by Charles Rotblut
What to avoid when rolling over your retirement account.
July 2024
Projecting the Effect of Retirement Matches for Student Loan Repayments
AAII Journal Article by Eunice Kim
While altering loan repayment behaviors, employer 401(k) matches for student debt payments are not predicted to materially change retirement payouts.
June 2024
Navigating the Risks of Investing in Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
There is so much debate about how investors should allocate their portfolios in retirement because we have no way of predicting what market conditions will be during our retirement years.
05/30/2024
Answers to Common Questions About QCDs
Investor Update by Charles Rotblut
Your QCD questions answered.
May 2024
Why Don’t College Degrees Include a Manual for Retirement?
AAII Journal Article by Jenna Brashear
Share your wisdom on planning for retirement to get the younger generation headed in the right direction.
04/04/2024
Five Retirement Challenges and Solutions for Them
Investor Update by Charles Rotblut
BlackRock’s Larry Fink on retirement solutions.
January 2024
Wealth and Retirement: Climate-Induced Financial Vulnerabilities
AAII Journal Article by Eunice Kim
Extreme weather events have negative implications on income and retirement savings, particularly among younger individuals.
10/05/2023
Financial Independence and Retirement
Investor Update by Cynthia McLaughlin
How to navigate every phase of retirement with AAII Retirement Investing.
August 2023
Design Your Portfolio With the Worst 2% of Times in Mind
AAII Journal Article by William Bernstein
A “suboptimal portfolio” that you can tolerate is better than an “optimal” one that you can’t stick with.
August 2023
Record-High Participation in Retirement Plans
AAII Journal Article by Andrew Gomes
Vanguard’s annual look at the performance of nearly five million defined-contribution plan participants shows encouraging results.
July 2023
Changes Made to Retirement Savings by SECURE 2.0 Act
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
The rules in plain-English plus post-passage observations can help you make changes for the current and future tax years.
July 2023
SECURE 2.0 Act Benefits Many, but Social Security Needs Fixing
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
While the SECURE 2.0 Act will benefit many people, our legislators once again missed the opportunity to shore up Social Security.
June 2023
Key Numbers for Your Retirement Prep Checklist
AAII Journal Article by Craig Israelsen, Jason R. Parker
You can retire with confidence by estimating four numbers that are used to calculate a Secure Income Score.
May 2023
A One-Page Wealth-Building Plan to Get a 60-Year-Old Couple to Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
The years leading up to retirement involve many important decisions. A simplified plan is essential to keep you on track.
May 2023
The Rules Regarding Retirement Account Rollovers
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Terms and tips to help you decide whether to transfer retirement savings from one account to another.
May 2023
Auto Rollovers May Lead to Account Abandonment
AAII Journal Article by Grace Malone
Employees whose retirement plan assets are automatically rolled over into an IRA when they leave their jobs are at greater risk of losing track of their accounts.
January 2023
How Target-Date Funds Work
AAII Journal Article by Jack Gilleland
Understand what you’re investing in and how it fits into your retirement plan when choosing a target-date fund, as variations abound.
January 2023
Younger Adults Are Increasingly Participating in 401(k) Plans
AAII Journal Article by Sean Murphy
An annual analysis of 401(k) retirement plans showed that 38% of plan participants were in their 20s or 30s as of year-end 2020.
October 2022
Double Your Lifetime Purchasing Power in 20 Minutes
AAII Journal Article by Chris Pedersen
Taking advantage of your workplace retirement plan can make a big difference in your end balance and spending capacity.
June 2022
Early Cash-Out Can Significantly Impact Retirement Income
AAII Journal Article by Sean Murphy
Younger adults with small retirement accounts are prone to small cash-outs, which can significantly impact retirement income, data shows.
May 2022
Important Differences Exist Among Retirement Calculators
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
When looking for an online calculator to make retirement estimates, seek out the ones that best fit your profile and customization desires.
May 2022
Level of Financial Literacy Impacts Retirement Preparedness
AAII Journal Article by Adam Scheg
Near-retirees would be expected to take actions to reduce the odds of running out of money in retirement, yet the data shows that this is not universally the case.
April 2022
11 Key Retirement Dates You Should Pay Attention To
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Meeting important retirement deadlines doesn’t have to be confusing if you plan early.
March 2022
What Drives Variation in Investor Portfolios?
AAII Journal Article by Charles Griswold
Differences in income, wealth, age, retirement, education, employment and past fund returns can affect investment behavior such as asset class allocation.
January 2022
How to Catch Up on Retirement Savings at 50
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Once you turn age 50, the tax code provides help in saving for retirement through catch-up contributions.
January 2022
A Plan for Achieving the Financial Goal of Building Retirement Savings
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
We use the example of a hypothetical couple to illustrate how the PRISM process can get you to your retirement goal.
December 2021
The Pandemic Altered Retirement Plans for Many
AAII Journal Article by Adam Scheg
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the timing and savings of retirement for tens of millions of Americans in the last year.
October 2021
Many 401(k) Participants in the Dark on Fees
AAII Journal Article by Dylan Dease
Many workers do not understand the expenses they incur when participating in a workplace retirement plan.
09/30/2021
Automate Retirement Savings and Retirement
Investor Update by Charles Rotblut
Automating various actions can help prevent unintended errors. Using auto-pilot when appropriate can also limit the influence that behavioral errors and noise have on the portfolio management process.
September 2021
Can a Roth IRA Conversion Save You Money?
AAII Journal Article by Roger Young
Moving assets from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA is most compelling when you pay tax on the converted amount at a relatively low rate.
September 2021
How to Score a Retirement Home Run
AAII Journal Article by Paul Merriman
A look at hypothetical returns using four different scenarios reveals the optimal combination of assets and withdrawal strategies.
September 2021
Online Exclusive: Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA—Differences You Should Know
AAII Journal Article by Matthew Bajkowski
The most powerful aspect of any IRA is its tax advantages; however, traditional and Roth IRAs approach tax advantages differently.
August 2021
Personalizing Your Glide Path to Avoid Financial Peril
AAII Journal Article by Jason M. West, Michael E. Drew
The use of observed income profiles can be efficiently incorporated into glide path designs to maximize retirement income sufficiency.
August 2021
Retirement Plan Participants Kept Saving Despite Pandemic
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Despite the coronavirus pandemic’s impact in 2020, most retirement plan participants did not make trades, loan use fell and only a small minority took withdrawals.
August 2021
Challenging the Conventional Wisdom of Roth IRA Conversions
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Recent changes to IRAs have led a professor emeritus at Santa Clara University to call for adjusting the established thinking regarding Roth IRAs.
July 2021
Using Bond Ladders and Income Annuities for Retirement Income
AAII Journal Article by Aaron Brask
A discussion of two specific tools investors can use in retirement to generate fixed cash flows and manage relevant risks.
July 2021
Multiple Factors Impact How Employees Manage Retirement Savings
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
A worker’s income, education level, marital status, level of debt and employment status have been found to have a major impact in determining what they do with their 401(k) and other defined-contribution (DC) retirement accounts.
May 2021
Automatic Enrollment Positively Impacts 401(k) Participants
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Automatically opting employees into their workplace retirement plans has a strong influence on participant saving and investment behavior.
May 2021
5 Critical Decisions for Retirement Income
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Pre-retirees need to make five important decisions about their retirement long before they start drawing upon their savings.
March 2021
Employers Keeping Retirement Match Steady
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
The majority of employers did not change their retirement account contribution formula in 2020 in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.
February 2021
One-Third of Employees Are Withdrawing From Retirement Accounts
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Thirty-three percent of workers have already or plan to take a loan or withdrawal from their retirement account due to the coronavirus pandemic.
10/11/2020
Craig Israelsen Answers Member Questions From Webinar Rebroadcast on 10/7
Update by AAII Staff
The rebroadcast of “Retirement Portfolio Analysis: A Multi-Decade Review” elicited member interest and questions, which are answered here.
June 2020
The Benefits and Costs of Long-Term Care Insurance
AAII Journal Article by Terry Savage
A little bit of insurance coverage for long-term care could make a big difference for your entire family. And now there’s a new policy type worth considering.
December 2019
Roth Versus Traditional IRA
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
This decision tree walks you through the key questions to answer when choosing whether to keep your retirement assets in a traditional IRA or convert to a Roth IRA.
07/16/2019
The Impact of Aging on Cognitive Function
Update by AAII Staff
A roundup of AAII articles on how aging can impact investing abilities.
06/28/2019
Limiting Required Minimum Distribution Costs
Update by AAII Staff
The IRS does not specify how you should free up the cash to take required withdrawals in retirement, only that you take the money out. This lack of specificity provides you with some flexibility to limit transaction costs.
June 2019
Five Major Considerations for Early Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Regardless of whether retiring early is planned or involuntary, taking the time to create a comprehensive plan is critical.
05/17/2019
9 Guidelines for Retirement Success
Update by AAII Staff
To help ease your transition into retirement, these straightforward guidelines can reduce your financial stress and give you the upper hand as you move into retirement.
February 2019
Older Workers Investing More in IRAs
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) have grown in popularity among U.S. households and older, higher income Americans.
November 2018
Illustrating the Value of Retirement Accounts
AAII Journal Article by Aaron Brask
Two examples show the considerations to be taken into account when deciding between a taxable account, a traditional IRA and a Roth IRA.
August 2018
Actions to Take During the Five Years Prior to Retirement
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Based on interviews with financial advisers, economists and retirees, The New York Times put together a list of tips to smooth the transition from a working career to retirement.
July 2018
Increasing Your Retirement Resources: The Power of Working Longer
AAII Journal Article by Jason Scott, John B. Shoven, Sita Nataraj Slavov
Postponing retirement by even just one year can boost a couple’s annual inflation-adjusted retirement income by 6.5% to 8.0%.
June 2018
Quantifying the Value of Retirement Accounts
AAII Journal Article by Aaron Brask
The golden goose of retirement accounts is the return boost attributable to avoiding taxes on capital gains, dividends and bond interest.
03/05/2018
Determining Your Allocation at Retirement
Update by Wayne A. Thorp
March 2018
Retirement Planning Strategies Following the 2017 Tax Act
AAII Journal Article by William Reichenstein, William Meyer
The lower tax rates and higher standard deductions make taking advantage of Roth IRAs more attractive now.
01/22/2018
Living off Retirement Savings in a World of Uncertain Return Patterns
Update by AAII Staff
A “conservative” approach doesn’t necessarily need to translate into more conservative investments in your portfolio during your retirement years.
January 2018
Insights on Using the 4% Withdrawal Rule From Its Creator
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut, William Bengen
Bill Bengen explains why he now suggests a 4.5% withdrawal rate and what the biggest threat to his withdrawal strategy is.
September 2017
The Impact of Expense Ratios on Retirement Income
AAII Journal Article by Craig Israelsen
Simply lowering investment expenses on a $1 million portfolio by 0.01% boosts annual portfolio income by more than $200 per year.
July 2017
Solving the Problem of Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Paul Merriman
Retirement places potentially unlimited demands on finite savings, but there are three actions investors can take to mitigate the problem.
May 2017
When You Haven't Saved Enough for Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
Saving more, working longer, delaying the claiming of Social Security benefits and tapping home equity can all help fund retirement.
July 2016
IRA Rollover Chart: Rules Regarding Rollovers and Conversions
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
A helpful chart showing what types of retirement accounts can be rolled over or converted into another type of retirement account.
May 2016
The Labor Department's Fiduciary Rule for Retirement Accounts
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
The new rule requires that financial professionals put their clients’ interests first, but investors should not let their guard down.
April 2016
Retirement Readiness Is Being Assessed in the Wrong Manner
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut, Moshe A. Milevsky
No consensus exists on an acceptable risk of outliving savings, and current models don’t reveal the magnitude of the shortfall retirees face.
January 2016
The Mathematics of Retirement Portfolios
AAII Journal Article by Craig Israelsen
The amount saved, the allocation followed and the withdrawal rate chosen all determine how much retirement income a portfolio can safely provide.
October 2015
How Big Is Longevity Risk?
AAII Journal Article by Bob Collie
The uncertainty of how long a person will live poses negligible risk at younger ages and substantial risk at older ages.
May 2015
The Sequence in Which Returns Occur Affects Your Wealth
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
The timing of positive and negative returns significantly impacts wealth, particularly if withdrawals are taken or other changes are made.
April 2015
The Importance of Diversification in Retirement Portfolios
AAII Journal Article by Craig Israelsen
Diversifying a portfolio among four primary asset classes allows for large withdrawals to be taken throughout retirement.
March 2015
Converting to a Roth IRA Can Minimize RMDs
AAII Journal Article by Judith Ward
Gradually converting traditional IRA assets into a Roth IRA can both increase lifetime wealth and reduce the total amount of taxes paid.
October 2014
A Checklist for Rolling Over a 401(k)
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Even if you decide when changing jobs or retiring to leave your investments in your former employer’s plan, you should investigate your options to ensure you are making the best choice.
September 2014
Required Retirement Savings Rate Depends on Age and Income
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
What percentage of income you need to save each year depends on the amount of replacement income needed, when you start saving for retirement and when you plan to retire.
September 2014
Retirement Planning: Focus First on Covering Fixed Expenses
AAII Journal Article by Michael Falk
Once all fixed costs have been immunized, withdrawal rates no longer matter as any additional retirement assets can be used for discretionary spending.
July 2014
Which IRA Should You Contribute to and When?
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
Roth IRAs offer better wealth incomes than traditional IRAs do on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
May 2014
From Saver to Spender: Managing Your Money in Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz
Following these nine guidelines can help reduce your financial stress and increase the odds of enjoying a successful retirement.
April 2014
Be Aware of IRA Rollover Rules
AAII Journal Article by AAII Staff
A tax court case cast a light on the rules governing and the prudence needed for individual retirement account (IRA) rollovers.
October 2013
Using the Bucket Approach With Your Retirement Portfolio
AAII Journal Article by Christine Benz
By segmenting their portfolios based on when they will need the money, retirees can fulfill both short-term cash and long-term growth requirements.
October 2013
Social Security Basics
AAII Journal Article by William Reichenstein, William Meyer
In this first article of a new three-part series, the impact of a worker’s retirement age on Social Security benefits is explained.
April 2013
A Key to a Lasting Retirement Portfolio
AAII Journal Article by John Sweeney
Staying within or below a 4% to 5% withdrawal rate (adjusted annually for inflation) will decrease your risk of outliving your retirement savings.
October 2011
Magic Numbers: Reduce the Math of Annuities to Simple Arithmetic
AAII Journal Article by Robert Muksian
Magic numbers are used in shortcuts that help you calculate portfolio growth, how long your savings will last and how much you can withdraw.
July 2011
Delaying Retirement, But Not Your Retirement Dreams
AAII Journal Article by Christine S. Fahlund
Investors can practice retirement by continuing to work but diverting dollars meant for new retirement savings to pursuing retirement dreams now.
July 2010
How Much Should You Have in Equities Until Retirement?
AAII Journal Article by Jerome Clark
A more conservative investment strategy might not do as well as a more aggressive strategy.
July 2010
Determining Your Allocation at Retirement
AAII Journal Article by Charles Rotblut
There is no strategy for retirement allocation that universally applies to all investors. The best place to start is to determine your needs.
September 2008
A Do-It-Yourself Approach to Target Date Retirement Investing
AAII Journal Article by Ben Branch
Using index funds, it doesn't take a lot of work to adopt the do-it-yourself approach to target date investing if you want to save on fees and possible expenses.
August 2008
Optimizing Your Retirement Income: What Works Best and Why
AAII Journal Article by Christine S. Fahlund
Only a small minority of Baby Boomers are accumulating enough savings to provide for their income needs. But those approaching retirement can improve their financial security in retirement, depending on their flexibility and their approach to four big decisions that are under their control.
February 2007
Invest or Delay? Strategies for Taking Social Security Benefits
AAII Journal Article by Christine S. Fahlund
Individuals who are eligible for Social Security face a complicated question: Are you better off delaying the start of your benefits so you can receive higher benefits, or are you better off receiving earlier but lower benefits? An analysis of various strategies for taking benefits.
November 2002
When Should You Start Your Social Security Benefits?
AAII Journal Article by William Reichenstein
Is it worth the delay in receiving Social Security benefits to get a higher monthly payment? Strategies for maximizing the present value of expected benefits.
August 2002
Withdrawing From Your IRA: A Guide to the Basic Distribution Rules
AAII Journal Article by Clark M. Blackman
Since IRAs are vehicles to encourage saving for retirement, penalty-free regular distributions cannot start until after the account owner turns age 59 1/2. But there are exceptions that allow you to avoid the 10% penalty.
July 2002
Valuing Your Pension Benefits and the Asset Allocation Implications
AAII Journal Article by William W. Jennings
Asset allocation should be based on the family's extended portfolio that includes the present values of income from Social Security and pension plans. Including these values may have dramatic investment implications.
June 2002
What You Need to Know to Protect Your Pension Benefits
AAII Journal Article by Lynn O'Shaughnessy
Pension administrators do make mistakes, although most aren't intentional. One culprit is federal laws, which are difficult to understand and constantly changing. The other culprit is plain old human error.
June 2002
What You Need to Know About Making Contributions to an IRA
AAII Journal Article by Clark M. Blackman
There are several types of IRAs, each of which has unique rules pertaining to account contributions and distributions. Understanding the rules will help you decide which one is the best retirement vehicle for you.
February 2002
Planning for Retirement: What to Expect From Social Security
AAII Journal Article by William Reichenstein
To properly manage Social Security benefits, you need to understand their key features. And as you approach retirement, you need to have an idea of how your decisions could affect the size of future benefits.
October 1998
Planning Considerations With the New Roth IRA
AAII Journal Article by Clark M. Blackman
One of the most difficult decisions is whether an existing IRA should be converted into a Roth IRA. The interrelated factors you may need to consider.
September 1996
Approaching Retirement: The Transition From One Mix to Another
AAII Journal Article by Maria Crawford Scott
Portfolio Strategies Workshop: How do you move from one asset mix to another? A case study on making the transition as you approach retirement.
April 1996
Receiving a Retirement Plan Distribution: Considerations for Younger Investors
AAII Journal Article by Maria Crawford Scott
Portfolio Strategies Workshop: What should a twentysomething investor do with a retirement distribution when changing jobs? A look at the alternatives.
April 1996
The Rules for Required Minimum Distributions & Beneficiary Designations
AAII Journal Article by Clark M. Blackman
Retirement Plans Column: The rules for minimum distributions and beneficiary designations: Shedding some light on a complicated tax area.
February 1996
The Impact of 401(k) Plan Decisions on Accumulated Retirement Wealth
AAII Journal Article by Charles Jones
Your decisions as to timing, amount, and allocation of contributions will have a direct impact on the total wealth you accumulate for retirement.