Estate Planning
Guide for Feds.
This 11-part series covers everything you need to address before — and at — retirement: emotional and physical readiness, financial preparation, basic estate planning techniques, and building a complete Survivor's Guide binder your family can rely on.
Everything you need
to address before you retire.
This guide helps you prepare for retirement, understand fundamental estate planning techniques, and compile your own Survivor's Guide — the binder your family will rely on when you're no longer there to answer their questions. Each part builds on the last.
Are you emotionally ready?
Part 1 of the series
Are you physically ready?
Part 2 of the series
Are you financially ready?
Part 3 of the series
All 11 parts at a glance
Are You Emotionally Prepared for Retirement?
Planning your departure · The 9 core questions · Stress and change
Are You Physically Able and Ready for Retirement?
Health, lifestyle, and physical readiness for the transition
Are You Financially Prepared for Retirement?
Income analysis · Expense review · Financial readiness checklist
Up in the Heir — Basic Estate Planning for Feds
Probate avoidance · Joint tenancy · Wills and trusts overview
Putting it All Together — One Section at a Time
Building your Survivor's Guide binder · Account access instructions
The Estate Planning Checklist
Complete step-by-step checklist of all estate planning items to address
Caretaker & Survivor Reports
What your caretaker and surviving spouse need to know and do
Financial Reports, Special Forms & Contact Information
Organizing your financial picture for family and advisors
Wills, Living Trusts, and Health Care Directives
Legal documents every retiree needs — and what each one does
Where There Is a Will There Is a Way
Wills in depth — what they cover, what they don't, when you need one
Revocable Living Trusts & Professional Options
When a trust makes sense · Attorney selection · Professional guidance
Are you emotionally
prepared to retire?
Retirement is one of the most significant life changes you will make. The financial preparation gets most of the attention — but the emotional transition is just as important and just as often ignored until it's too late to address before you leave.
If you are an emotional wreck before retirement, there is a real possibility you will remain that way after you leave — unless you make changes now. Leaving a stressful job doesn't guarantee leaving the stress behind. It tends to travel with you unless you've made a plan for what comes next.
Retirement in and of itself won't solve problems you haven't addressed. All change is stressful, and retirement is a major change. What makes the difference is whether you've thought through the questions in advance — and had the meaningful conversations with your family that turn vague hopes into an actual plan.
The key to being emotionally prepared is to plan for your departure well in advance of leaving. You can't leave what you'll do in retirement to chance.
No matter what you aspire to do in retirement — start a small business, pursue hobbies, travel, volunteer, consult — now is the time to begin putting those plans in motion while you're still working. If you start the process before you leave, the transition won't feel like stepping off a cliff. You'll at least know what direction you're heading when you walk out the door.
Nine questions to answer before you retire
- 1Why am I retiring?
- 2Can I afford to leave?
- 3Am I physically prepared for the rigors of retirement?
- 4Is my will, estate, and directives in order?
- 5What will I do with my time?
- 6How will my life change when I leave?
- 7What are my significant other's expectations?
- 8Do I want to work in retirement — and if so, doing what?
- 9What do I need to do before I retire to enhance my retirement goals?
Question 9 is answered by questions 1 through 8
The last question — what do you need to do before you retire — can only be answered after you've honestly worked through the first eight. The gap between where you are now and where you need to be is your pre-retirement action list. Put it in writing, discuss it with your family, and make it happen before you leave.
Part 2 — Physical readiness
Are you physically ready for retirement? Part 2 examines the health and lifestyle changes that come with leaving structured work — and what to plan for before they arrive. Reduced physical activity, shifting routines, and new health care needs all benefit from advance thought.
Part 3 — Financial readiness
Can you afford to leave? Part 3 connects the emotional decision to the financial reality — income from all sources, expense review, TSP and savings strategy, and the specific financial preparation steps to complete before your final day at work. See our Retirement Cost Analysis spreadsheet to run the numbers yourself.
Complete your
retirement planning.
Related financial planning tools, estate planning pages, and the retirement cost analysis spreadsheet.