nice but how do you know when that A/L check is coming?Quabit, most of us saved the maximum A/L which gave us a nice little nest egg while waiting for the finalization of our retirement. Depending on the type of retirement plan you are retiring under you should get "interim payments" pretty quickly after retiring (60 days or so after retiring). 2-3 months pay saved up and your A/L should get you through Ok. You are smart to start planning now. Best of luck to you!