Roth-Only Catch Ups Start Now: 2026 Checklist for Firefighters
Only about 15% of eligible workers actually make catch-up contributions¹ – even though these extra savings can be a retirement lifeline. Firefighters often retire around age 52², decades before Medicare or Social Security (if they even qualify for it), so even a solid pension can leave a long financial gap. Catch-up contributions let you stash […]
Your Firefighter Retirement Income Playbook: How Guardrails, Cash Buckets, and QLACs Work Together
Nearly 2 in 3 Americans say running out of money in retirement scares them more than even dying¹. Spending your later years in poverty, without the means to maintain even the basics of daily life or provide for yourself, should be a fear powerful enough to stop anyone in their tracks. For firefighters who often […]
Retirement Spending Guardrails: How Firefighters Can Keep Income Steady When Markets Bounce Around
Roughly two out of three workers say they are worried about running out of money in retirement.1 That is the general population. For firefighters who often retire in their early fifties, that worry tends to hit even harder. You step out of the station, your pension kicks on, markets start doing their roller coaster routine, and […]
CDs: Building the Cash Bucket for Firefighter Retirees
Captain Joe sits in the Station 7 break room with his retirement papers spread on the table. After 28 years on the job, he’s just months away from retirement, but one question keeps nagging him: what should he do with his 457(b) money once those steady paychecks stop? He’s heard about keeping a “cash bucket,” […]
QLACs 101 For Pension Households: Turning Part of Your 457(b) Into Longevity Income
How long do you expect to live? As a firefighter, the worries of an early death are constant, either from a workplace incident, work-related illnesses, or even off-duty accidents, which is why many of our articles stress the importance of protecting your family if the worst were to happen. However, we also have to be […]
The Firehouse 457(b) Challenge
October is chock full of important observances. Fire Prevention Week. Cybersecurity Awareness Month. And fittingly, one that’s especially close to our hearts as retirement specialists for firefighters: National Retirement Security Month. Speaking of retirement security, unfortunately, most firefighter pensions replace only about 50–70% of your final working income³, and since you likely don’t qualify for […]
Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Lock Down Your Pension, 457(b), and Benefits Portals
Running into burning buildings isn’t the only risk firefighters face. In 2024 alone, Americans lost a record $16.6 billion to online scams, and a staggering 73% of adults have experienced some form of cyber attack or scam in their lifetime. An astounding 68% of Americans get scam calls at least weekly, and 28% get scam […]
Fire Prevention Week for Your Finances
You spend Fire Prevention Week teaching others how to stay safe. In that same spirit, let’s make sure your financial house is just as fireproof. After all, an unexpected expense shouldn’t turn into a five-alarm blaze that burns through your savings. A little prevention can keep a money spark from raging out of control. In […]
Smart DROP Timing: When to Enter and How Long to Stay
Let’s talk about Deferred Retirement Option Plans (DROPs) and timing, a topic as critical to a firefighter’s retirement as having the right gear on a call. Not all states or cities even offer DROP plans¹, but where they do exist, they’ve become incredibly popular. In Philadelphia’s fire department, for example, roughly 80% of eligible firefighters […]
Keeping Pace with Inflation: How Firefighters Can Protect Their Retirement Paychecks
9.1% – That’s how high U.S. inflation soared at one point in 2022, the steepest spike in 40 years1. You’ve hung up your helmet and boots, and now you’re living off your hard-earned pension. But there’s another kind of blaze to watch out for: inflation. Even in “normal” times, a 3% inflation rate means prices […]