When people retire, they look forward to enjoying time to themselves. This means it’s important to pay off your main debts before your retirement.

You don’t have to have everything perfectly in line, nor do you need a giant nest egg of savings. However, as reported here by Amy Legate-Wolfe of Yahoo Finance, there are a few debts you want to get out from under.

Surprisingly, your mortgage isn’t one of them. School loans, credit card debt, and auto loans are the primary concerns. By paying off these ahead of time or at least getting ahead of them, you can enjoy a more stable retirement.

Another way to stabilize your retirement is to campaign for fair yearly cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), so you always stay ahead of inflation with your benefits. Learn how we fight for this cause here, then follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you never miss a post.