Top 3 Retirement Planning Tips for 60-Year-Olds

Attorney Greg McIntyre

If you’re approaching retirement, turning 60 is a critical milestone, both financially and legally. Too many people wait until after retirement (or after a health crisis) to address estate planning and long-term care issues. By then, options can be limited and consequences expensive.

As an estate planning and elder law attorney, I see this every day. The good news? Planning ahead before retirement gives you more control, more protection, and more peace of mind.

Here are the top 3 retirement tips every 60-year-old should consider.

Lock In Your Estate Before Retirement Begins

One of the biggest mistakes people make is delaying estate planning until “later.” The ideal time to get your plan in place is today.

At a minimum, this means having:

General Durable Power of Attorney
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Living Will
Last Will & Testament and/or Trust

Why does this matter? Because as we age, the risk of incapacity increases. If you or your spouse become incapacitated without these documents in place, your family may be forced into a court-supervised guardianship just to manage basic decisions.

If you don’t chose who will make decisions for you, the court will. This is rarely the outcome that families want.

Planning ahead allows you to:

Choose your decision-makers
Avoid guardianship proceedings
Keep your family out of court during an already stressful time

Start Planning Early for Long-Term Care

Long-term care is one of the largest threats to retirement security. Nursing home care and assisted living can quickly drain a lifetime of savings if no plan is in place.

At age 60, you still have options. Timing matters!

Long-term care planning may include:

Evaluating long-term care insurance as a potential income stream for care
Structuring or setting aside assets to protect them from future care costs
Planning ahead for LTC Medicaid eligibility

Waiting until there is a health crisis often eliminates many of these strategies. Planning early gives you flexibility and control over how care is paid for — and how much of your estate is preserved for your family.

This is something we help clients plan for every single day.

Set Beneficiaries Correctly and Avoid Probate

Many people assume that having a will means their estate will be handled efficiently. While a will is an important safety net, it is not always the most effective tool for passing assets.

In North Carolina, probate is:

Time-consuming
Public
The place where claims can attach to assets

This is especially important if long-term care benefits are later activated, as probate assets can be exposed to recovery claims.

Using tools such as trusts and proper beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and financial assets can help route assets around probate, making the process faster, more private, and often more protective of your estate.

An effective plan coordinates your goals, your assets, and your family structure to ensure:

Assets pass to the right people
Claims are minimized
Decision-makers are clearly in place

Why Age 60 is the Perfect Time to Plan

Coming into retirement is a prime opportunity to pause, assess, and put a comprehensive plan in place –before pressure or urgency sets in.

Retirement planning isn’t just about money, it’s about:

Control over your decisions
Protection of your assets
Peace of mind for you and your family

Schedule Your Free Consultation

I’m Greg McIntyre, and at McIntyre Elder Law, we are grateful for the opportunity to help families protect what they’ve worked so hard to build and preserve their legacies.

📍 Offices in Shelby, Charlotte, and Hendersonville
📞 Call us at 1-888-999-6600
🌍 Visit our website: www.mcelderlaw.com

Don’t wait until it’s too late—take control of your future today!