Our mission
The Retirement Literacy Foundation provides free, unbiased education on Social Security claiming, Medicare/IRMAA brackets, Roth conversion strategy, and retirement income planning to Southern California adults approaching or already in retirement.
We teach the math. We publish the case studies. We do not sell financial products, accept commissions, or take referral fees from any financial-services company. Every workshop is free. Every calculator is free. Every case study is free.
Our programs
Three program areas, all delivered at no cost to participants:
- Free public workshops — 60–90 minute educational sessions hosted at public libraries and community centers across Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Riverside County. Topics include Social Security claiming strategy, IRMAA Medicare planning, Roth conversion windows, the SECURE Act inherited-IRA changes, and the Widow's Penalty. Five workshops are scheduled across Spring–Summer 2026; see /workshops/.
- Free online calculators & educational tools — 22+ interactive calculators covering Social Security claiming, RMDs, IRMAA brackets, Roth conversion impact, Sequence-of-Returns risk, Monte Carlo retirement projections, the Widow's Penalty, MYGA-vs-CD comparisons, and more. Free to use, no email required to view results.
- Free case-study library — Long-form, anonymized case studies showing real retirement decisions, the math behind them, and the outcomes. Six published cases, more in production; see /stories/.
Detailed program descriptions and 2026 program goals are on our Programs page.
Who we serve & what we've delivered
Our audience is Southern California adults age 55–75 who are approaching, transitioning into, or already in retirement — and want to understand the math behind their decisions before signing anything.
Since launching public operations in 2024 and receiving IRS 501(c)(3) determination in April 2026:
- 22+ free calculators published — covering Social Security, IRMAA, Roth conversion, RMDs, inherited IRAs, Widow's Penalty, sequence-of-returns risk, MYGA-vs-CD, and Monte Carlo retirement projection
- 6 long-form case studies published — anonymized real-world retirement decisions with full math and outcomes
- 5 free public workshops scheduled for Spring–Summer 2026 in Pasadena, Irvine, Yorba Linda, Corona, and Cathedral City
- Educational topic library — ongoing publication of articles on retirement planning topics most retirees never get walked through
Governance
The Retirement Literacy Foundation is governed by its founding Board of Directors. Per our bylaws, the Board sets strategic direction, approves the annual budget, and oversees program quality.
Transparency & finances
RLF publishes its governing documents and financial information for full public review.
About the founder
Founder & Executive Director
Hans Goldstein founded the Retirement Literacy Foundation in 2024 after watching too many retirees make irreversible Social Security, Medicare, and withdrawal-sequencing decisions without anyone walking them through the math first.
Before RLF, Hans's background was in software engineering. He became interested in retirement planning after seeing the gap between what retirees needed to know and what most ever got explained — and started building free calculators and writing case studies to close it.
Hans serves as the Foundation's unpaid Executive Director and draws no salary from RLF. The Foundation's work is independent of any outside professional activity. RLF does not sell financial products, accept commissions, or refer attendees to any commercial product or service.
Get involved
Three ways to support free retirement education in Southern California: