I have found that checklists are a necessity when it comes to packing for a trip. Yes, more than once I have forgotten to pack a needed item. After doing that two or three times, I started utilizing a packing checklist. Voila! Nothing is forgotten or left behind.

While forgetting something while packing for a trip is not the end of the world, neglecting something in the financial planning process can be very costly and have a detrimental effect on your retirement plan. There can be many things to consider and the complexity of the issue can be the root cause of errors in the decision making process. The checklists and guides below ensure that the big things don’t slip through the cracks. In other words, having a checklist can serve as a type of “due diligence” process, to make sure that all the important planning issues and opportunities are covered.