When it comes to planning your retirement, there really is no definite time when you should start working on it. However, going through it when you are just three years shy of your retirement age may not be the right way to go about it.

Planning your retirement should be done at least five years from your intended date. During this time, you need to see where you stand in your finances. Two of the things that you have to take into consideration are your lifestyle as well as your intended date of retirement. Keep in mind how you see yourself when you retire a jetsetter or a nature-love? This would help you decide how you would run your finances.

Once you know how financially sound you are, it is time to get to know what the retirement life is all about. At this stage, you have to check how much it would cost you to go about your daily activities. This is also a good time to decide whether you would be getting a house in a retirement community. If so, you have to check how you would make the monthly payment. If you have retirement benefits, talk to your employer and seek their help in planning out your retirement. Your next step would be looking into your health. Get to know the social security benefits that are due you. This could help you in case you would need to spend for your medical care.

A year or two from your retirement, you should assess how your income stream would be. Even if you stay in a retirement living Charlotte NC community, you have to keep in mind that you would also need to make monthly payments. There could also be an increase in the costs for medical care, so you need to have a steady source of income.

When you are already less than a year from your retirement, make sure that you consolidate your accounts and automate important financial transactions. This would enable you enjoy your stay in those retirement living Charlotte NC communities without much worries. Look for a financial services provider that would allow you to check your portfolio from just one source.

Now, youre ready to activate your retirement plan and start your move from your office to your new life in a retirement living Charlotte NC community!