Retirement preparation becomes easier to discuss when you can see which income starts when, which household expenses continue and which records control benefits after a death. A worksheet can connect those questions while keeping each program's rules separate.
Use this checklist in your own files. A general inquiry needs your question, not account balances, beneficiary names or copies of identity documents.
Give each income source its own row
List the sources you expect to use, the proposed starting date and the office or professional who can verify the information. Include any period between your final paycheck and the first payment from another source.
| Source or responsibility | Questions to confirm privately |
|---|---|
| Federal pension | Which estimate and retirement category apply? When would payments begin? |
| Social Security | Where is the official estimate? Which application and family-benefit questions remain open? |
| TSP or another retirement account | Which official plan information do I need before considering distributions? |
| An insurance annuity, if held | What does the contract say about income, access and survivor provisions? |
| Work or other household income | Which dates and assumptions should be checked? |
| Ongoing expenses | Which housing, insurance, care and dependent-support costs continue? |
Keep an estimate's date and source with it. An old estimate, a contract value and a projected monthly payment represent different information. Ask the responsible source to explain any figure you cannot identify.
Review what changes for a surviving household
Ask how each income source would change after either spouse or another financially important household member dies. A federal survivor annuity and a life insurance death benefit have different rules and purposes. Social Security family and survivor benefits are also determined under their own program rules.
For federal health coverage, ask the benefits office to review the conditions that would apply to the surviving family member. Do not infer an answer from a life insurance beneficiary designation alone. Our FERS survivor guide is a starting point for that separate conversation.
Locate the controlling records
Make a list of the records to check, including any federal retirement survivor election, FEGLI designation, retirement-plan beneficiary information and individual insurance policy designations. Confirm which record controls each benefit and how the responsible administrator accepts updates.
Family circumstances can change. Ask whether a marriage, divorce, death or change involving a dependent calls for a review. Where a court order, trust or other legal arrangement is involved, include the appropriate legal professional rather than trying to resolve it through a website form.
Keep a practical information map
In your private files, record where the documents are kept and how an authorized family member could contact the relevant administrator. Use the provider's verified contact information. Keep passwords, identity numbers and confidential records out of a general shared checklist.
The map can be simple: document type, administrator, location of your own copy and the question still to resolve. It helps someone find the right starting point without pretending that every document creates the same entitlement.
Revisit the open questions together
Before a retirement transition, separate verified information from assumptions. Mark an estimate that needs updating, an election that needs confirmation or a beneficiary record you have not located. Assign each question to the source able to answer it.
The survivor and beneficiary topics and insurance glossary can help you prepare the next conversation. Individual pension, tax, legal and insurance decisions still need the applicable records and professional review.
Browse federal benefits, retirement and insurance topics or read how we prepare and check our guides.
Sources
- OPM: Survivor benefits, checked November 3, 2026
- OPM: Federal life insurance, checked November 3, 2026
- Social Security: Retirement benefits, checked November 3, 2026
- SEC and TSP: Education for retirement and separation, checked November 3, 2026
- NAIC: Life Insurance, checked November 3, 2026
Have questions about your own situation? We'd be glad to help. Request a call. It's free, and there's never any obligation.