Saving & Spending

8 Must-Do Things Before 60 For a Stress-Free Retirement

Last updated Sept. 17, 2025 | By FinanceBuzz Editors

Do you dream of a stress-free retirement? Maybe even an early retirement? (Now we're talking!) Of course, you do — you're human, after all.

Unfortunately, there's a common mistake that holds people back from making that dream a reality: People often make a mental checklist of things to do by the time they retire when they should really have those things done five to ten years before retiring.

If you're looking to retire by 65 (or sooner), you'll want to have everything below checked off before 60.

But have no fear! If you don't have one checked off yet, this page will show you how to get started.

Ohio Driver? Cancel your car insurance

Driving without car insurance is illegal, but if you do this, you’re not actually breaking the law.

This tool can help you see if you’re overpaying for car insurance in just a few clicks. You’d be shocked by the difference. $159 per month is what they wanted to charge me. I thought that was the best price, don’t even look anywhere else. Right? Wrong.

I used this tool and now I’m able to pay just $47 a month for two cars.1Too many insurance companies do this. They push up our rates and make us pay even more. But if you want to try this tool and compare and potentially score same-day savings, here’s what to do:

  1. Click the link below and enter your zip code, date of birth, and phone number.
  2. Answer a few questions about your car’s make and model to get matched with top offers.
  3. Choose the best quote for you and lock it in before rates go up.

Compare rates now and see if you could score same-day savings today!

I can hardly believe I waited so long to do this, but I’m glad I finally did. It only took me two minutes. Super fast. You have to trust me on this. Just try it out.

Earn potentially hundreds more on your savings with this simple move

If you still have money sitting around in a traditional savings account, you could be missing out on the potential to earn hundreds — even thousands – of dollars with a simple move you can make in just minutes.

Open an American Express® High Yield Savings Account today and you can supercharge your savings with an impressive 3.50% annual percentage yield (APY).2 There is no minimum deposit required, no minimum balance you must maintain,3 and no monthly fees!

Earning nearly passive income couldn’t be easier than choosing American Express. You’ll have seamless account access online and via the Amex® App to easily transfer funds in and out as needed, or even set up auto-deposits so you can grow your wealth on autopilot. Plus, you can talk to an actual human 24 hours a day, 7 days a week whenever you need support.

You can rest assured that your funds are fully backed by the service and reliability of American Express, Member FDIC. Terms Apply.

Start supercharging your savings today

Take this quiz to see if you can retire early

Do you know if you can retire early? One of the best ways to find out is by speaking with a financial advisor. With the right moves and a little work, you could potentially retire years earlier.

Our advice: Take this quiz from SmartAsset. In just a few short questions, it can help you find qualified, vetted financial advisors who serve your area based on their cost and specialty. You even earn 3 free consultations with each of your matches, so you can compare them4 and be fully prepared to pick a financial advisor that’s right for you.

But there’s one problem. Where do you even find a financial advisor?

Here’s how to find a financial advisor in the next five minutes:

1. Take this 5-minute quiz. (Yes, there are a fair amount of questions but they are all easy.)
2. Make sure you enter your zip code towards the end so you get matched with up to three financial advisors4 who serve your area
3. Once you’ve got your matches, get a free consultation with each!

Take the quiz

Set up direct deposit - pocket $300

If you aren't banking with SoFi®, you're missing out on a huge boost of extra cash just by following a few simple steps.

Earn a bonus of $50 or $3005when you open a SoFi Checking and Savings account and make an eligible direct deposit within the first 25 calendar days of the promotional period. Eligible direct deposits totaling $5,000 or more can unlock the $300 bonus.5Easy.

This is practically passive income and a great way to supercharge your earnings. It basically takes no extra work at all other than following the steps above. Plus, your new account could earn up to an insane 4.50% APY6on savings (3.80% APY standard + 0.70% APY boost for six months) on top of the bonus.

Open your account and earn up to a $300 bonus

If you’re over 50, take advantage of massive discounts and financial resources

Over 50? Join AARP today — because if you’re not a member you could be missing out on huge perks. When you start your membership today, you can get discounts on things like travel, meal deliveries, eyeglasses, prescriptions that aren’t covered by insurance and more.

How to become a member today:

  • Go here, select your free gift, and click “Join Today” 
  • Create your account (important!) by answering a few simple questions 
  • Start enjoying your discounts and perks!

You’ll also get insider info on social security, job listings, caregiving, and retirement planning. And you’ll get access to AARP’s Fraud Watch Network to help you protect your money, as well as tools to help you plan for retirement.

Important: Start your membership by creating an account here and filling in all of the information (Do not skip this step!) Doing so will allow you to take up 25% off your AARP membership, making it just $15 the first year with auto-renewal.

Become an AARP member now

Pay no interest on qualifying balance transfers until 2027

Imagine getting 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers with an intro 0% APR (then APR is 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% Variable). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with this industry-leading low-interest card - the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card(Rates and fees).

If you want to kick high-interest credit card debt to the curb, this is one of the leading get-out-of-debt cards available. Transfer your high-interest debt to this card with a 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers. Your payments can go directly to paying down your balance without incurring a pile of additional charges. That could save you hundreds of dollars in interest! After the intro period, the APR is 17.24%, 23.74%, or 28.99% Variable.

The best part? There's no annual fee with the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card.

Click here to Apply Now to the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card

Don’t pay a CENT to contractors for home repairs until you do this

Sounds crazy. And maybe you’re not even sure if this is real. But … you’re probably curious anyway. Choice Home Warranty makes it so you might be able to save $100s in home repairs!

They’ve been around since 2008 (so you know they’re legit) and they offer affordable plans to cover appliances and systems in your home that could break down from routine wear and tear.

Think of it like this: Say your air conditioning unit breaks down during a heatwave. Instead of paying $1,500 for repairs, you may only need to pay a $100 service fee with Choice Home Warranty, and their techs come and fix it ASAP. This could save you $1,400 almost instantly!

Choose a plan here and you can still lock in their ultra-low 2025 rates (for a limited time). Then, whenever a covered system in your home breaks down, all you have to do is make your claim online or give them a call. Their team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.7

Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here and lock in 2025 rates

P.S. Use the links above and you’ll get $50 off and 1 month free. We don’t know how long this will last, so take advantage of it today before it disappears.

Alert: In 2023 Americans lost over $10 billion to identity theft and fraud

That's right. According to the FTC, Americans lost over $10 Billion to fraud and identity theft in 2023.

But you can safeguard your data with all-in-one identity theft protection services from Aura which comes with $1,000,000.00 in identity theft insurance8per adult, to cover you should you have eligible identity theft-related losses.

An individual plan starts at $9 per month, and you can choose a family plan that outmatches most others - includes Dark Web monitoring to scour data breaches and leaks for your sensitive personal data — such as Social Security numbers (SSN), Medicare information, and phone numbers.

Before you make your next online purchase, protect what you’ve built for a fraction of what it could cost you if your data were compromised.

Save up to 68% when you sign up for protection today!

O&O Auto Insurance
  • You could save up to $600 with some companies
  • Compare dozens of providers in under 5 minutes
  • Fast, free and easy way to shop for insurance
  • Quickly find the perfect rate for you