Most retirees plan for Medicare premiums and prescription coverage—but a few costs tend to slip through the cracks. Fidelity puts average lifetime healthcare spending for a retired couple at roughly $330,000, not counting extended care, and new Medicare Part D rules cap drug costs at $2,000 a year only for medications on your plan's covered list. Add in the healthcare-access tradeoffs of a rural retirement move or the growing appeal of concierge medicine, and the real cost of retirement healthcare starts looking a lot bigger than the basics.

The first year of retirement can feel exciting, uncertain, and everything in between. Here's what to expect emotionally, financially, and practically as you settle into this next chapter. Reach out if you'd like to talk through your transition.

Discover why starting early is often more powerful than saving more. This article uses a side-by-side comparison of two hypothetical savers to illustrate the remarkable impact of compound growth over time.

Understand the key financial and lifestyle shifts that happen in your first year of retirement. The first year of retirement can feel exciting, uncertain, and everything in between. Here's what to expect emotionally, financially, and practically as you settle into this next chapter.