The power of starting late.

A common feeling I hear from people in their late 50s or early 60s is some version of: "I wish I'd started planning sooner." It's an understandable feeling — but it's also one that can quietly get in the way of doing anything at all right now.

Starting late is still starting

There's a real difference between having fewer years to plan and having no ability to plan. Even five or ten years out from retirement, there's meaningful work that can be done: understanding what your income will actually look like, identifying gaps in protection, and making sure the plan you have reflects the life you're about to live — not the one you had in your 30s.

What tends to matter most in a shorter runway

When there's less time before retirement, a few things become more important, not less: reducing unnecessary risk in the years right before and after you stop working, understanding your true income floor, and making sure protection — life insurance, long-term care planning — is coordinated rather than an afterthought. These are often more impactful in the final stretch than they were earlier on.

Comparison is the enemy of progress

It's tempting to measure your situation against some hypothetical version of yourself who started planning at 30. That comparison rarely helps. The more useful question is simply: given where things stand today, what's the best plan from here? That question can be answered at any age.

If you're feeling behind, that feeling is common — and it's not a reason to put off getting started. It's usually a reason to start now.