This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.

While financial security is essential, it’s not the only factor. Your identity, social connections, daily structure, and sense of purpose can all change in retirement. The key to a smooth transition? According to past Retire With Purpose podcast guest, Fritz Gilbert, it’s Retirement Readiness.

What You Should Know: Here, Fritz breaks retirement readiness into three levels to help you gauge where you stand and what you need to do next:

📌 Level 1 (Basic Readiness): You’ve thought about retirement but haven’t mapped out the details. Your finances may be uncertain, and your social life still revolves around work.

📌 Level 2 (Intermediate Readiness): You have a solid plan but need to fine-tune areas like healthcare, long-term goals, and your new daily structure

📌 Level 3 (Advanced Readiness): You’re fully prepared; financially secure, socially connected, and clear on how you’ll spend your time in meaningful ways

Key Takeaways: If you don’t plan for these shifts, you may find yourself feeling lost rather than liberated. Taking the time now to plan both financially and emotionally will help you set yourself up for the fulfilling retirement you deserve.