Retirement Readiness Checklist 2026

Most people know they should be saving for retirement, but few have actually checked whether what they're doing today gets them where they need to be. This checklist is a quick, honest self-assessment across the three main retirement vehicles most salaried Indians have access to.

Know Where You Stand

You know your current EPF balance and contribution rate

If you are salaried, this is likely your largest existing retirement asset, check it on the EPFO portal if you have not recently.

You know how many years you have until retirement

This single number should drive nearly every other decision on this list, since it determines how much risk your savings can reasonably absorb.

You have a rough target retirement corpus in mind

Even an approximate number, based on your expected expenses, is better than no target at all when deciding how much to save each month.

Check Your Savings Vehicles

You are contributing to NPS for the extra ₹50,000 deduction

This is on top of your regular Section 80C limit, a benefit many salaried employees never claim. See our PPF vs NPS vs EPF comparison.

You have decided whether PPF fits your risk-free allocation

A reasonable choice if you want guaranteed, tax-free returns outside what your 80C limit already covers elsewhere.

Your retirement savings are not sitting entirely in low-growth instruments

If retirement is 15+ years away, being 100% invested in fixed-return instruments may mean your corpus grows slower than it safely could.

You review your allocation at least once a year

Your ideal mix of guaranteed vs market-linked savings should shift as retirement gets closer, not stay static for decades.

Close the Gaps

You have factored in inflation, not just a target number today

A corpus that feels sufficient today can fall meaningfully short 20 years out once real inflation is accounted for.

You are not relying on EPF alone

EPF is valuable but was never designed to fully replace income at retirement by itself for most salary levels.

You have life and health insurance in place

Protecting your income and savings from a medical emergency matters as much as the saving itself. See our insurance options.

Get a Free Retirement Planning Consultation

Tell us your age and current savings, we will map out a realistic plan across EPF, PPF and NPS, free of cost.

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