Overview

Google, IBM & Meta Certificates – 40% Off

One plan covers every Professional Certificate on Coursera.

Retirement can feel abstract until a real decision, like which account to open, how much to contribute, or when to claim Social Security, suddenly has actual financial consequences. Many people put off these choices for years simply because no one ever laid out the steps in order. This course breaks retirement planning down into the specific, sequential decisions most people never learn to make with confidence, replacing vague advice with a concrete, personalized plan. You'll assess your own financial readiness to start saving, weigh competing financial goals, and compare retirement account types and tax treatments side by side. You'll calculate a personal savings target using age-based benchmarks, build a diversified investment portfolio suited to your timeline, and evaluate your options for rolling over accounts or accessing funds early if life requires it. You'll also plan how a sustainable withdrawal rate, Social Security, and any pension fit together into one coherent income stream for retirement. By the end, you'll be able to build a complete, personalized retirement savings plan and commit to the specific next action that puts it into motion.

Syllabus

Are You Ready To Save for Retirement?

Your retirement savings only work if the rest of your financial life can support them. In this module, you'll assess your financial readiness to save, weigh retirement contributions against your other financial priorities, and clarify a personal vision of retirement that keeps you motivated to keep going.

Retirement Accounts

Retirement accounts aren't one-size-fits-all, and picking the wrong one can cost you real money in taxes and fees. In this module, you'll compare employer plans against IRAs, weigh Roth against Traditional tax treatment, and choose the retirement account structure that fits your work situation.

How Much To Save for Retirement

Staring down "save enough for retirement" as one giant, distant number can freeze you before you even start. In this module, you'll build a personal savings target using small, incremental goals and age-based benchmarks so you can tell exactly where you stand.

Investing for Retirement

Your retirement portfolio does the real work of turning your contributions into a nest egg, but only if it's built with the right mix of assets. In this module, you'll compare stocks and bonds, apply diversification principles using mutual funds, and evaluate target date funds as a hands-off investing option.

Getting Your Money Before Retirement

Changing jobs doesn't have to mean losing track of your retirement savings, and a financial emergency doesn't have to mean derailing your future. In this module, you'll evaluate your options for rolling over an old retirement account and navigate the rules around loans and early withdrawals so you can access funds responsibly when you truly need to.

Retirement Income

Your savings only become useful once you turn them into income you can actually live on. In this module, you'll estimate a sustainable withdrawal rate, determine what Social Security is likely to provide, and evaluate how a pension fits into your overall retirement income picture.

Conclusion

You've covered a lot of ground: readiness, accounts, savings targets, investing, accessing funds, and income planning. In this module, you'll pull those pieces together into a specific, personal commitment to move your retirement plan forward.