A good plan starts with good questions.  Retirement planning involves tangible and intangible factors, and it takes time to uncover what’s really important for your unique situation.  Your advisors need to take the time to ask thoughtful questions, so they can be aware of the following when working on your behalf:

• Where you want to live in retirement, and whether have you actually lived or stayed there for any length of time.  This is important to know, because a place you’ve enjoyed for a weekend or a few weeks at a time might not be where you want to relocate to for the rest of your life.
  
  
• What is your overall health like, and the health of those dependent upon you?
  
  
• What are your income goals, for the first few years of retirement, and for the second and third stages of retirement?  How much of this amount are wants and how much are needs?
  
  
• What are your needs for long term care protection?
  
  
• Will your health insurance be provided by your employer in retirement?  If so, what levels of coverage will apply?