STAYING PUT, DOWNSIZING, OR A RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Where you live next is one of the bigger decisions this stage of life hands you, and it deserves deliberate thought rather than defaulting to the familiar or being swept along by someone else's timeline. This guide compares the three paths most people actually weigh, staying put, downsizing, or a retirement community, honestly, on money, daily life and social connection. None is inherently right. The job here is making the trade-offs clear enough that the decision is genuinely yours.

• Assessing your current home and situation honestly
• What each of the three paths genuinely involves
• Comparing the real financial picture, including the costs people miss
• Daily life, care, and social connection in each option
• Making the decision on your own timeline, with family onside