Saving & Spending

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

enjoying free time in retirement
Last updated Jan. 21, 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

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.

Our tool 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.

See if you're overpaying

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® Savings High Yield Savings Account today and you can supercharge your savings with an impressive 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY).1 There is no minimum deposit required, no minimum balance you must maintain,2 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 reliability of American Express, Member FDIC. Terms Apply.

Supercharge your savings here

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 them3 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 advisors3 who serve your area
3. Once you’ve got your matches, get a free consultation with each!

Take the quiz

Earn a $300 bonus offer when you open and fund this powerful account

We hate to tell you this, really. But if you aren’t using Bank of America Advantage Banking, you could be missing out on extra cash. Don’t worry though … it's easy to fix.

Earn a $300 bonus when you open an account through the Bank of America promotional page. This offer is available online only and may not be available if you leave this page, visit bankofamerica.com, visit a Bank of America Financial center, or if you call the bank. See offer page for more details. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC.

Besides potentially earning a nice bonus, you’ll also get access to Bank of America’s highly-rated mobile apps, thousands of ATMs and financial centers, 24/7 security with Total Security Protection®️ and fraud monitoring, and much more.

This is practically passive income and a great way to supercharge your earnings. Hurry, this is a limited-time offer and is only valid through 1/31/2025.

Open a Bank of America Advantage Banking 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 $15 the first year with auto-renewal.

Become an AARP member now

Pay no interest until 2026

Imagine getting an introductory 15 months with 0% intro APR on a big purchase or balance transfer (APR then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable). 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 18.24% - 27.24% Variable) — 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 18.24% - 27.24% Variable). 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 and you can still lock in their ultra-low 2024 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.4

Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here and lock in 2024 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.

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!5If 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.

Enter your zip code to get started

  • 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