The Retirement Equation: What You Can — and Can’t — Control

Building a strong retirement plan starts with understanding which factors are in your hands, which you can influence, and which you’ll need to adapt to—especially given the unique challenges women face.

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• Career & Earnings – Negotiate salary, pursue promotions, switch industries, upskill, or plan career breaks strategically.
• Employer Benefits – Maximize matches, spousal IRAs, and health savings accounts.
• Financial Literacy – Strengthen your knowledge through reading, workshops, or working with a CFP® to refine your budgeting and planning.
• Investment Mix – Choose your allocation across stocks, bonds, real estate, alternative investments and cash—and rebalancing as goals or risk tolerance change.
• Savings & Contributions – Decide how much to invest in your 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, HSA, or after-tax accounts for each pay period.

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• Debt Strategy – Set repayment priorities for loans and credit, though rates may vary.
• Health Care Choices – Select Medicare or supplemental coverage, but premiums and costs fluctuate.
• Lifestyle & Longevity – Manage diet, exercise, and preventive care to influence (but not control) your health span.
• Retirement Withdrawals – Choose your spending approach, but portfolio performance and inflation affect outcomes.
• Social Security Timing – Decide when to claim benefits (62–70), though payout formulas are fixed.

• Gender Pay Gap – While advocacy matters, systemic disparities persist.
• Inflation & Interest Rates – Price changes and monetary policy move independently of individual actions.
• Life Events – Health and Family, can alter even the best-laid plans.
• Market Conditions – Economic cycles and returns are outside personal command. Social Security Policy – Benefit formulas and ages are set by legislation.