Creating your financial strategy is never a set-it-and-forget-it task—it requires maintenance. A common rule of thumb is to re-examine your financial and retirement strategy on an annual basis. So, when you undergo this review, remember to look at the five key areas of retirement planning.

There was a time when pensions were the most common of retirement benefit plans. Employees looked forward to what could generally be described as a private version of Social Security offered via an employer. However, those days are gone, and only a small number of the US population have pensions now. If you do receive a pension, there are key decisions you’ll need to make about how to utilize your benefits, so you make the best use of this retirement benefit that only a fraction of the population has access to.

You’re nearing your 60th birthday, which doesn’t seem as significant a milestone as the moon landing or important birthdays like 16, but that’s where you’re wrong! Turning 59 ½ is almost as exciting as when you turned 16 and could drive, because at 59 ½, you can withdraw from your retirement accounts without incurring a penalty. Hopefully you’ve been taking advantage of the ability to contribute extra money to your retirement accounts since you turned 50. You’re also nearing the age at which you’re eligible for Social Security benefits and Medicare. Keep reading to learn about your retirement options and how you can successfully transition into retirement.