What Pre-Retirees Retiring in 2028 Should Be Doing Right Now

If you're planning to retire in 2028, you're clearly entering the home stretch of your career. At the same time, you still have an opportunity to make meaningful improvements to your retirement plan. Here's how to make the most of that gap and set yourself up for success.

1. Maximize retirement savings while you're still working

If you're still collecting a paycheck, you can keep funding your IRA or 401(k). You may want to do that even if you're reasonably happy with your current balance.

Image source: Getty Images.

You never know what surprise expenses retirement might throw at you. Your HVAC system could fail. Your car's transmission could go. Or you might end up with large medical bills. Having more of a cushion could help offset unplanned expenses.

Plus, don't forget that Social Security is facing the possibility of benefit cuts. Lawmakers have never let that happen before, so it's too soon to assume the worst. But it's definitely a smart idea to give your savings a last-minute boost before making your workforce exit.

2. Make sure you have the right asset mix

With retirement being as close as it is, now's the time to make sure your portfolio is properly balanced. And you may want to scale back on stocks if they still comprise a large chunk of your asset mix. If you don't, and there's an adverse market event, you could end up having to take big losses to access the retirement income you need.

The good news is that you may have an opportunity to take advantage of recent market gains. You can rebalance and shift more assets into stable investments that can provide steady retirement income.

It's also a good idea to make sure you have ample cash on hand. You may want to aim for one to three years' worth of living expenses in cash in case the market tanks early on.

3. Reduce debt before your paycheck stops

Retiring with some debt isn't necessarily a terrible thing, especially if it's a low-rate mortgage or car payment. But if you're carrying costly debt, now's the time to work on a payoff plan.

Start with credit cards, personal loans, or other balances carrying high interest rates. Eliminating these payments before retirement could free up more of your monthly income for essentials and reduce financial stress once you're no longer earning a regular paycheck.

If you're retiring in 2028, it may be too soon to start reducing your workload on the job or planning your first post-career vacation. But it's definitely not too early to make the moves above. And tackling them now could be your ticket to retiring with not only more money, but also a lot more confidence.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.