100 Best Retirement and Finance Guides for Seniors

The Internet is full of guides for those setting up retirement plans and savings accounts, but what about those who are already starting to tap into their 401(k) or Social Security? For tips on understanding your savings budget to figuring out home and senior living costs to finding the best deals on health insurance, a reverse mortgage, senior travel and more, check out our list of 100 of the best retirement and finance guides for seniors.

Understanding Your Savings

Now that you’re ready to tap into your savings, read these guides to learn how you need to budget your retirement, pay off debt and more.

1. Budgeting and Savings Tips for Ages 55+: Check out this list of tools and guides for saving on everything from health insurance to everyday costs.
2. Emergency Fund: Find out how large your emergency fund should be so that you can stock up in case you lose your job or have unexpected medical costs.
3. Debt Management Tips for Seniors: Get rid of your debt so that you can start saving. This article can show you how.
4. How to Budget Your Money: Figure out how much you should be spending on housing, transportation, debt, food and more.
5. How to Spend Your Retirement Savings: Learn about “the three risks of retirement” and how to budget for your lifestyle by reading this article.
6. Fiscal Fitness for Older Americans: Stretching Your Savings and Shaping Up Your Financial Strategies: This government resource is from 2005 but still has lots of great tips, including how to avoid fraud, a to-do list for retirement and stretching your last paycheck.
7. 25 Rules to Grow Rich By: This article has some rules that are ideal for younger folks, as well as many senior-friendly ideas.
8. Should You Annuitize Your Retirement Savings?: Consider this option to make your retirement savings last longer.
9. Women and Retirement Savings: Find out why fewer women participate in retirement plans and what you can do to protect yourself.
10. Common Questions About Retirement Saving: This guide aims to answer questions about saving for retirement.

Government Resources

Turn to these government resources for funding and authoritative information on Social Security, housing, tax rebates and more.

11. Consumer Protection for Seniors: Turn to this page in case you or your friends and family have been abused or scammed.
12. Social Security Online: Get access to Social Security benefits, retirement plans, disability facts and more.
13. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: If you’re a veteran, you’re entitled to even more discounts and benefits. Check here to find out what you’re entitled to.
14. HUD Senior Citizens: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Senior Citizens page can help you with finding a new home or apartment, retirement homes, meals on wheels programs and more.
15. Caregivers’ Resources: Here, seniors can access information about home care, hospice care, nursing homes and more.
16. Money and Taxes for Seniors: Access tax rebate forms, certificates of deposit, AARP Tax-Aide Programs and more from this site.
17. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: This program “currently protects the pensions of nearly 44 million American workers and retirees” in thousands of pension plans. Find out if you’re eligible.
18. Retirement: This government website features guides and resources for figuring out your benefits, pension errors, employee benefits, Social Security, retirement planning, and a lot more.
19. U.S. Department of Labor: From wages and disability resources to unemployment insurance and workers’ comp, make sure you understand your rights and benefits by reading this page.
20. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: If you’re trying to manage your own retirement and savings while supporting your grandchildren, turn to this government resource for support and information.

Health Insurance and Budgeting

For help making sense of your health and medical costs, turn to this list.

21. Seniors Have Options for Saving Money on Prescription Drugs: Get tips like “compare plans” and” “skip the name brand” to save major bucks on prescriptions.
22. AARP Insurance and Medicare: Head to this site to find out what kind of Medicare plan is best for your budget and more.
23. Dental Care Savings for Seniors: Compare dental plans on this website, or consider a second career by attending a dental assisting school.
24. Understanding Your Medical Bills: Get a closer look at bills, statements, co-payments, lab tests and more.
25. Good Health Habits at 60 and Beyond: One of the best ways to cut back on medical costs is to stay healthy. Get tips for preserving your health here.
26. Hospice Locator: If your spouse or other family member is in need of hospice care, find a provider from this website.
27. Medicare: Visit the official website for Medicare to learn about prescription plans, benefits and tips on lowering your health costs.
28. Active Seniors Curb Health Care Costs: Find out how exercise and a generally active lifestyle can lower health care costs.
29. Family Doctor.org Seniors: Read articles about staying healthy, understanding your medication, managing your medical care and more.
30. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Locate budget-friendly health care plans and providers here.
31. Senior Health Insurance Counseling: This website can help you understand the differences between regular health insurance, long term care, Medicaid, Medicare and more.
32. Aging Parents and Elder Care: Use this website to guide you through the costs and culture of assisted care, retirement and Medicare.

Home Costs

Whether you plan to move into a smaller home, an assisted living facility or back in with your children, refer to this list for information and tools.

33. Paying for Continuing Care Retirement Community: The University of Pittsburgh Institute on Aging provides information on insurance and assisted living.
34. Paying for Long-Term Care: This chart can help you understand the different options for paying for long-term care.
35. Planning for Aging Services: What’s Right for You: Go over this worksheet to determine your basic living needs.
36. Change of Address: You can use this free service to quickly change your address and forward USPS mail.
37. 11 Keys to Choosing the Right Retirement Community: MSN Money’s Liz Pulliam Weston encourages seniors to consider included services, applications and health history, in-person visits, accreditation and more.
38. Benefits of Reverse Mortgages: Learn about this home payment option for seniors.
39. HouseValues.com: Use a tool like this one to determine how much your home is worth and whether or not it would be a good idea to sell.
40. Should Your Elderly Parent Move in with You?: Go over this article with your children if you’re thinking of moving in with them to avoid high retirement home costs.

Sources of Income

Today, some retirees are coming to terms with part-time jobs and supplementing their Social Security. Learn all about your income options here.

41. Estimate your retirement benefits: Estimate the Social Security benefits you’ll get with this calculator.
42. Over 50 and Looking for a Job? The Web Can Get You Started: Whether you want a part-time job for some extra cash or you need a full-time gig, read this article to help you compete with younger candidates.
43. Retirement on Hold: How Long Will You Have to Keep Working?: This unfortunate reality is affecting many seniors today.
44. SeniorJobBank: Find employers who are looking for employees over 50 here.
45. SeniorsforJobs.com: If you need to go back to work to make ends meet, try out this job bank.
46. Aging in the Workplace: Read about how early retirement is becoming a thing of the past and how seniors are battling health issues, participating in criminal justice and stopping workplace discrimination.
47. Retirement Income: The Crucial Role of Social Security: Get a summary of this book, which covers the different ways seniors figure out their income.
48. Military Retired Pay Overview: Military.com’s guide goes over the basics of this system, which allows those as young as 37 to receive retirement benefits.
49. Ten Ways to Pay for Retirement: Consider these types of income and savings to help you through retirement.
50. Working During Retirement: Solid Plan, or Boomer Delusion?: Even if you need the money, is working during your retirement a good idea? Read this article to weigh the pros and cons.

Investments

From the stock market to investment scams, get all the information you need right here.

51. Saving and Investing: 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy features many guides for saving and investing, including “Mutual fund basics,” “Taxation of investments” and “Understanding risk.”
52. Protecting Your Money in a Bear Market: Learn how to protect your investments and savings despite a bear market.
53. 10 Tips to Protect Your Nest Egg: This guide is for senior investors who are worried about scammers and freeloaders.
54. Top 10 Investing Scams: Before you get excited about a new investment project, read this article.

Life Insurance

Here you’ll find tips on selecting the right kind of life insurance.

55. How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?: Get the most for your money with this tool.
56. Understanding and Choosing Life Insurance: Figure out how much life insurance you need and the type of policy you should research here.
57. Choosing Life Insurance: Term or Permanent?: Read about different types of life insurance here.
58. Money 101 Life Insurance: This easy-to-follow guide goes over the “top things to know” about life insurance.
59. Understanding Life Insurance Policies: Physician’s News Digest gives a solid report on life insurance.
60. You bet your life: Tips for buying life insurance: Tips in this article include “opt for term life” and “get in shape.”

Paying for Travel and Extras

Besides health costs and living expenses, you’ll want to budget time and money for vacations and little extras that will maintain your quality of life.

61. Senior Discount Directory: Check out this list of links to travel and shopping discounts for seniors, at places like Amtrak, Best Western, Kroger and more.
62. Mismatched: Seniors who are considering using a dating service should read this article before paying for a subscription.
63. 8 Money Saving Tips for Senior Las Vegas Travelers: From travel to gambling, check out these tips for keeping track of your money during a trip to Las Vegas.
64. Travel and Recreation for Seniors: Access discounts, safety tips and more on this government website.
65. SeniorDiscounts.com: Search for discounts on this site.

Wills and Trusts

For help on writing your will and understanding your estate, look here.

66. Will or Trusts: Choice of a Lifetime: Read this article from the AARP to figure out which option is best for you.
67. Be Aware to Whom You Bequeath Your Nest Egg: Before writing up your will, make sure you do a lot of research on your family first.
68. Life Advice About Estate Planning: Learn how to draw up a will and figure out estate taxes here.
69. A Brief Guide to Creating a Will: Check this guide for tips on drafting a will.
70. Will and Estates: The American Bar Association offers tips for writing a will, making it legal and more.

Web Tools

Turn to the web for budget calculators and retirement savings plans.

71. The Budget Planner: Use this tool to help you organize mortgage payments, debt, loans, savings and more.
72. Organizing Your Financial Records: Access financial organizers to keep track of your personal finances, insurance, health history, property and more.
73. Ballpark E$timate: This two-page worksheet will help you determine “how much you need to save to fund a comfortable retirement.”
74. Should I Borrow From My 401(k) Plan?: Use this calculator to determine whether or not you should use your 401(k) plan just yet.
75. Retirement Shortfall Calculator: This USA Today calculator shows “your projected shortfall or surplus at retirement.”
76. Savings widgets: If you’re a Web-savvy senior, install a couple of these widgets to keep track of your savings, find discounts and more.
77. Free Budget Worksheets: Print out these worksheets to organize your income, expenses and home budgets.
78. CCCS Budget Calculator: Budget your income and savings for medical, housing, food, insurance, recreation and other costs.
79. Tools, Tutorials, Quizzes: Visit this site for links to calculators, a glossary, weekly polls and more retirement planning tools.
80. Change of Address: Change your address with the USPS and Social Security Administration.

Financial Guides and Articles

This list features articles and guides that will help you manage your money during retirement, find discounts and more.

81. Top 5 Money Management Tips for Seniors: From downsizing your house to joining the AARP, this guide has several tips for seniors.
82. Cost Saving Ideas and Strategies: Today’s Seniors offers up lots of great ideas for saving money at the pump, on vacation, on your credit cards and more.
83. Auto Insurance: Money Saving Tips for Seniors: Follow these driving and safety tips to avoid skyrocketing insurance costs.
84. 66 Ways to Save Money: Decrease housing costs, transportation costs, banking and credit issues and more when you read this article.
85. Retirement Lingo: Use this glossary to figure out terms like estate planning, annuity, generation-skipping transfer and others.
86. Seniors: A New Way to Give: This article is all about charitable giving and your tax breaks.
87. 7 Money Management Tips for Seniors: Tips include “stop giving handouts” and “take care of yourself.”
88. Should You Delay Your Social Security Benefits?: Moolanomy helps seniors determine when they should start taking advantage of Social Security.
89. Ways to downsize during retirement: Learn how to save more during your retirement by reading this article.
90. There are challenges to moving abroad during retirement: If you’re thinking of moving abroad to save money and relax, read this article first.

Avoiding Scams

The elderly are unfortunately a prime target for many financial scams. Learn how to protect yourself here.

91. Hold on to your nest egg: Scam artists target seniors’ savings: Read this article to learn about the different types of scam artists who come up with ploys to steal money from seniors.
92. Debt Relief: Beware the Frauds: Before you jump at the chance to get rid of your debt, make sure you’re not being scammed.
93. How to Protect Your Family from Senior Scams: This very detailed guide will educate you on the techniques scammers use to target seniors.
94. Fraud Target: Senior Citizens: Read the FBI’s guide to avoiding fraud and understanding how seniors are vulnerable.
95. Financial Abuse of Elderly People Grows: This trend is unfortunately still going strong. Learn how to protect yourself here.

Go-To Resources for Seniors

These prime resources are full of references, tools and information for seniors looking to budget their retirement.

96. 96. 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy: for seniors: Access articles, calculators and more to learn about estates and trusts, early retirement offers, tapping into your 401(k) and more.

96. 96. Money Talks: Personal Finance and Fraud Alerts: Visit this blog to check out the newest finance scams.

96. 96. Kiplinger: Your Retirement: Access articles, tools and quizzes here to learn about retirement and saving.

96. 96. Retirement Living Information Center: Look for retirement communities, jobs for seniors, tax information and more here.

96. Thrifty Fun Budget and Finance – Retirement: Read articles and get tips for organizing your retirement paperwork, withdrawing from your IRA, finding a job with a retirement plan and more.