Saving & Spending

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

enjoying free time in retirement
Last updated Dec. 25, 2024 | 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: Say Goodbye to High Auto Insurance Rates if You Live in These Zip Codes

We've got bad news. You could be wasting $600 every year on overpriced, second-rate car insurance. And you should probably cancel your existing insurance right now, because there's something much better.

This new tool from FinanceBuzz can tell you if you're overpaying for your car insurance in just a few clicks. We match drivers with companies that report saving drivers up to $600 or more per year when they switch! Each driver’s savings will vary by driving history and how many discounts you’re eligible for. And once you try it out, you'll never have to look for affordable insurance again because we find you the lowest rates that other companies can't match.

Oh, and it's also free. And come on — you can't tell us you don't want to save up to $600. To find out if you're losing up to $600 or more a year, just answer a few questions, and then make sure to enter your zip, dob, and email, to see if you qualify for a lower rate. It takes less than 2 minutes.

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Take this quiz to get matched with vetted financial advisors

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.

Here’s the first step: Take this quiz from Zoe Financial. In just a few short questions, it can help you find vetted financial advisors based on your unique needs.

You get matched with three advisors and even earn free consultations, one with each match. That way, you can compare them and be fully prepared to pick a financial advisor that’s right for you.

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Earn a $400 bonus with this checking account

We hate to tell you this, really. But if you aren’t banking with Truist Bank, you’re missing out on extra cash. Don’t worry though … it’s easy to fix.

New checking clients can earn a $400 bonus when you open a new Truist One Checking account online between October 31, 2024 and April 30, 2025 using promo code AFL2425TR1400. Terms apply.1

To earn the $400 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 120 days of account opening.

This is practically passive income and a great way to supercharge your earnings.

Plus, you can enjoy other benefits like no overdraft fee, a $100 negative balance buffer,2 and automatic upgrades for access to growing perks.

Open your new Truist One Checking account here

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 $12 per year with auto-renewal.

Become an AARP member now

Earn potentially $1,000s in basically passive income by opening this account ASAP

You can turn your existing money into even more money by basically doing nothing. Yes, it sounds insane. But it’s true — and it all depends on how early in life you open a high yield savings account.

The American Express® Savings High Yield Savings Account offers a rare 3.80% (as of December 17, 2024) annual percentage yield (APY)3 — compared to the national average APY of 0.47% (as of Feb. 8, 2024). This could be worth hundreds, even thousands of dollars in passive income.

This is all thanks to compound interest — the earlier in life you start putting money into this type of account, the more you can earn over time. As Ben Franklin put it, “Money makes money. And the money that money makes, makes money.” Bam.

Let’s say you put $50,000 into a high yield account with a 3.80% (as of December 17, 2024) APY at age 30. Then, you contribute $5,000 a year, every year, until age 50. At that rate with interest compounding daily, you’d walk away with $265,300.43! But ... if you start at age 45, you’d only have $88,557.45.4

Open an account today — the sooner, the better. There are NO fees, and you can withdraw your money whenever you need it. Plus, can rest assured that your funds are fully backed by the service reliability of American Express, Member FDIC. Terms Apply.

Click here to open an American Express High Yield Savings account

Pay no interest until 2026

Imagine getting an introductory 15 months with 0% intro APR on a big purchase or balance transfer (APR then 18.49% - 27.49% Variable *Rates as of December 12, 2024). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with one of the industry-leading no-interest cards — the Discover it® Cash Back(Rates and fees).

Cardholders get a generous intro APR of 0% for 15 months on purchases (APR then 18.49% - 27.49% Variable *Rates as of December 12, 2024) — that means you can cover bills, large purchases, or whatever you need to charge and not pay interest until 2026! 

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 15 months on balance transfers (APR then 18.49% - 27.49% Variable *Rates as of December 12, 2024). 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!

The best part? The Discover it® Cash Back card is accepted by 99% of merchants, boasts an exceptional cash back rewards rate, and there's no annual fee.

Click here to Apply Now

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 to get started. 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.5

Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here

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.

Find up to $500,000 coverage in term life insurance starting around 71 cents a day

No one wants to think about Life insurance, but we all want to protect the ones we love. If you passed away, how would your family handle the mortgage, retirement, or daily costs?

It’s a good idea to see what you qualify for as long as it’s not a hassle. That’s where Bestow comes in.

Just answer a few questions and see your quote instantly — without needing medical exams or doctor’s visits.

The best news? If approved, you could get a 10-year term life insurance policy with $500,000 in coverage starting around $0.71/day!6If you’re 28 to 45, take a few minutes to see policy rates today – it’s a great age to lock in a rate if you can.

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  • You could save up to $600 with some companies
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  • Fast, free and easy way to shop for insurance
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