Free Retirement Courses And Guides
Retire.Courses helps people who are preparing for retirement, or already living it, understand their choices. Local financial professionals teach our courses in plain language, and every course and guide is free.
Learning With Retire.Courses
Start wherever feels comfortable. There is nothing to buy at any step.
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Pick A Course Or The Guide
Choose a free course, in person or online, or start with the free Retirement Prep Guide.
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Learn In Plain Language
A local financial professional teaches each course, with time for your questions. Nothing is sold.
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Go Further If You Want
If you would like personal help afterward, just ask and we will introduce you to a local professional. No pressure, no obligation.
If One Of These Sounds Like You
Our courses are built for the decisions people face in the years around retirement.
Free, And Honest About Why
Our courses and guides are free because local financial advisors pay Retire.Courses a flat fee for marketing. We never take commissions, and nothing is sold at a course. We connect people with advisors because we believe a good one can make a real difference in retirement.
Before working with any advisor, check their background for free at investor.gov.
What The Research Says About Working With An Advisor
Independent studies have tried to put a number on the value of professional advice. The largest gains they find come from planning, tax decisions and discipline, not from picking investments.
in added net returns that Vanguard estimates advisors can provide by following wealth management best practices, such as financial planning, tax strategy and behavioral coaching. Vanguard notes the value varies significantly by client and tends to come at certain moments over an unspecified period, not as a yearly return.
Source: Francis M. Kinniry Jr., Colleen M. Jaconetti, Michael A. DiJoseph, David J. Walker and Maria C. Quinn, “Celebrating Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha: Clients and their advisors thriving together for 25 years,” Advisor’s Alpha Perspectives, Vanguard, 2025. Restates Vanguard’s Quantifying Advisor’s Alpha research, first published in 2014.
Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha (opens in a new tab)Read the study (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Links checked October 9, 2026.
more certainty-equivalent retirement income, in a hypothetical Monte Carlo simulation, for a retiree who makes better financial planning decisions (such as asset allocation, withdrawal strategy, annuities and tax efficiency) than in a base case of a 4% initial withdrawal. Morningstar calls this added value “Gamma.”
Source: David Blanchett and Paul Kaplan, Morningstar, “Alpha, Beta, and Now… Gamma,” The Journal of Retirement, Vol. 1, No. 2 (Fall 2013), pp. 29-45.
Journal article (opens in a new tab)Read the paper (PDF, Morningstar, August 28, 2013) (opens in a new tab)
Links checked October 9, 2026.
of Americans not yet retired who work with a financial advisor believe they will be financially prepared for retirement, compared with 43% of those who do not. These are survey answers about people’s own expectations, not measured results.
Source: Northwestern Mutual, 2026 Planning & Progress Study, “Retirement and Work,” slide 15. Online survey of 4,375 U.S. adults conducted by The Harris Poll, January 5 to 21, 2026. Northwestern Mutual is a financial services company that offers financial advice.
Study page (opens in a new tab)Read the findings (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Links checked October 9, 2026.
These figures come from studies published by third parties (Vanguard, Morningstar and Northwestern Mutual) about financial advice in general. None of these firms is affiliated with, or endorses, Retire.Courses or the professionals who teach its courses, and those professionals took no part in the research. Vanguard’s and Morningstar’s figures are estimates from hypothetical models, not the results of actual client accounts, and Northwestern Mutual’s are survey answers about what people expect. They are not a promise or guarantee of the results you will experience with any advisor. Your results will depend on your situation, the services you use, fees, taxes and market conditions. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Statistics are shown for educational purposes only. Links go to the publishers’ own websites, which Retire.Courses does not control.
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Before You Sign Up
Is it really free?
Yes. Courses and guides are free, with no obligation, and nothing is sold at a course.
Who teaches the courses?
Local financial professionals. They pay Retire.Courses a flat fee for marketing, and we never take commissions.
What happens after I sign up?
You get an email with the details. After that we send occasional retirement education by email, and you can opt out at any time.
What should I bring?
Just your questions. Courses are in plain language, and questions are welcome.