Before You Retire in Coastal Virginia: Build an Income and Expense Checklist

By Chandler Worth · CVA · October 14, 2026

Choosing a retirement date is easier to discuss when the numbers describe the life you actually want. For a Coastal Virginia household, that might mean staying near family, spending more time on the water, downsizing or keeping a part-time role. Start with those choices, then organize the income and expenses behind them.

Separate the regular bills from the occasional ones

List housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, insurance and debt payments. Then look back through a full year for costs that a typical month misses: property taxes, maintenance, travel, gifts and annual premiums. If a large bill appears only once a year, it still belongs in the plan.

For your own home, use actual insurance renewals, association charges and repair estimates. Do not assume that moving to a smaller home automatically reduces every cost. Compare the specific properties and include the costs of moving.

Give each income source a date

Make a list of anticipated Social Security, pension payments, employment income and withdrawals from savings or investments. Note when each source could begin and which figures are estimates. A retirement date and the date an income payment starts may differ.

The Social Security Administration provides personalized benefit estimates based on your earnings record. Compare scenarios using your own information, including expected future earnings. Save the date of each estimate so a later review does not mistake an old projection for a current one.

Ask what changes after work ends

Set aside a separate conversation for health coverage, taxes and employer benefits. Ask the relevant plan administrator or qualified professional what deadlines apply to you. If a military, federal, state or private-employer pension is part of the picture, bring that plan’s current documents rather than assuming another person’s experience applies.

List the decisions that can wait—and those that cannot

An old 401(k), a planned move and the timing of benefits may require different decisions. Avoid treating them as a single transaction. Our 401(k) rollover guide outlines options to discuss before moving retirement-plan money.

Write down who will help answer each open question. An investment professional, tax professional, attorney and benefits administrator may have different responsibilities. Ask who will coordinate the work, rather than assuming everyone is reviewing the same information.

Bring a useful first-meeting packet

• A current household spending summary and list of debts.
• Recent account statements and benefit estimates.
• Expected housing changes and significant one-time expenses.
• Questions about family support, health coverage and the timing of income.
• A short description of what a good retirement would look like for you.

Share financial documents through the professional’s verified secure process. A public event or ordinary website inquiry form is not the place for account numbers.

Explore Frank Tehel’s retirement seminars → · Find local wealth-management resources → · Explore senior living and local activities →

This checklist is general education, not a retirement-income projection or personal investment or tax advice. Sources checked October 14, 2026: CFPB retirement resources and Social Security benefit estimates.