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It’s not uncommon to have financial regrets, from spending too much on an impulse buy to not saving enough for vacation. But when it comes to retirement planning, mistakes can be especially costly.
Here are six regrets you’ll want to avoid as you save for your golden years.

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1. Not saving early enough
It’s never too late to start saving money and building your nest egg, but starting earlier will give you an advantage. The best time to start is right now, even if retirement is decades away. It’s easy to disregard the need to save when you’re in your 20s and 30s and have ample working years ahead of you, but those are some of the most critical years to compound your wealth.
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2. Taking Social Security too soon
You can take out Social Security when you turn age 62, but your payments will be reduced compared to if you wait. Tapping Social Security as soon as you can may help cover costs in the short-term, but it may not make sense for your long-term financial picture.
Some people consider working a few more years so they can delay receiving Social Security.
3. Underestimating health care costs
Health care costs are on the rise, and in retirement, you may need to invest in more health care than you realize. In a 2025 report, Fidelity Investments estimated that a 65-year-old retiring can expect to spend $172,500 on average in health care and medical expenses throughout retirement — a more than 4% increase from 2024.
Saving money for health care, including in tax-advantaged accounts like health savings accounts (HSAs), can help.
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4. Failing to plan withdrawals strategically
Withdrawing from retirement plans lets you tap into all of the money you have saved over the years, but if you rush the process, you can end up with a much higher tax bill than you expect. Strategic withdrawals let you maximize how much of your nest egg you access each year while minimizing the tax burden.
Understanding required minimum distributions (RMDs) and tax planning are important parts of a withdrawal strategy.
5. Relying too heavily on one income stream
Social Security can be a major part of your financial picture, but assuming that you will be able to live off of those payments alone may be a mistake.
Leaning exclusively on one income source to fund your retirement lifestyle can result in a lot of hard decisions later down the road, and may require you to sell financial assets when their prices have dropped if you’re in a pinch. It’s better to diversify your income streams.
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6. Ignoring estate planning
Retirees who leave inheritances for their heirs should make sure the money will reach the right people. Setting up an estate plan eases those worries.

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SoundHound AI (SOUN) just made its biggest strategic move of the year. And one of the stock’s most closely watched analysts responded the same day with a message that is more nuanced than a simple thumbs up or thumbs down.The deal itself is significant. But what Wedbush is saying about the company’s stock alongside it is what investors need to pay attention to.What SoundHound just didOn April 21, SoundHound AI announced a definitive agreement to acquire LivePerson in an all-stock deal valuing the target’s equity at approximately $43 million, representing a 22% premium to LivePerson’s 30-day volume-weighted average price, according to GlobeNewswire.The total enterprise value of the deal is approximately $250 million, which accounts for LivePerson’s discounted debt that SoundHound plans to retire using a mix of cash and equity at its discretion. At closing, SoundHound also expects to receive roughly $74 million of LivePerson’s cash. The combined company is expected to emerge debt-free.More Wall StreetJPMorgan resets S&P 500 price target for the rest of 2026Vanguard challenges the S&P 500 as a one-stop strategyGoldman Sachs resets Broadcom stock forecastThe strategic logic is straightforward. SoundHound brings proprietary voice and agentic AI. LivePerson brings digital messaging capabilities that power one billion customer messages per month. Together, the companies are positioning themselves as a single end-to-end omnichannel conversational AI platform.What Wedbush said about itWedbush maintained its Outperform rating on SoundHound shares and kept its 12-month price target at $12 following the announcement, according to Proactive Investors.”We believe this was a strategic move by SOUN that will better position the company to meet this transformational market shift coming while broadening its customer portfolio,” Wedbush analysts wrote.The firm specifically highlighted the data angle. The combination would give SoundHound’s voice AI systems access to LivePerson’s messaging data, creating what Wedbush described as “a data foundation of tens of billions of customer interactions annually.” That scale of training data could improve model performance and automation outcomes across the combined platform, according to Proactive Investors.Why the deal makes strategic senseLivePerson marks SoundHound’s fifth strategic acquisition. The company has now assembled a platform spanning voice AI, digital messaging, agentic AI, and enterprise customer service, building on earlier integrations including Amelia and Interactions.The combined customer base is substantial. The enlarged company will serve enterprise clients across more than 30 countries, including 12 of the top 15 global banks, four of the top five global airlines, and four of the top five global automakers.The cross-sell opportunity is the bigger number. SoundHound management projects a path to $500 million in revenue from the existing combined customer base over time, with a near-term target of $350 million to $400 million in 2027 revenue, including at least $100 million expected from LivePerson’s existing customers, according to GlobalData.Key figures from the SoundHound and LivePerson deal:Equity value of the acquisition: $43 million, at a 22% premium to LivePerson’s 30-day VWAP, according to SoundHound AITotal enterprise value including debt: approximately $250 million, SoundHound AI confirmedLivePerson cash expected at closing: approximately $74 million, according to GlobeNewswireCombined platform will handle one billion customer messages per month, SoundHound AI noted2027 revenue guidance for combined company: $350 million to $400 million, according to GlobalDataCross-sell revenue opportunity from existing customer base: $500 million, Yahoo Finance notedWedbush price target: $12, Outperform rating maintained, according to Proactive InvestorsSOUN shares rose nearly 5% to around $8 on the day of the announcement, Proactive Investors noted

Wedbush kept its rating but the number it attached to the stock tells a more complicated storyHarrer/Getty Images

The stock reaction and what it meansSOUN shares rose nearly 5% to around $8 on the day of the announcement. That reaction reflects cautious optimism rather than outright enthusiasm. The stock remains well below Wedbush’s $12 target, which itself sits below the Wall Street consensus average of roughly $14.67, according to Zacks.The initial selloff that followed the announcement, before shares recovered, is also worth noting. Some investors may have reacted negatively to the all-stock structure of the deal, which could dilute existing shareholders, before reassessing the strategic rationale and the balance sheet benefit of acquiring $74 million in LivePerson cash, according to TipRanks.The gap between where the stock trades and where analysts have it pegged tells part of the story. SoundHound is a company that the market is still trying to price. It has real growth, a maturing acquisition strategy, and a credible enterprise customer list. What it does not yet have is a clear path to consistent profitability, which remains the key variable for investors deciding how much upside to price in.What investors should watch from hereThe LivePerson deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, according to The Globe and Mail. That means the integration work and the revenue contribution from LivePerson’s customers will largely be a 2027 story. Investors who buy the thesis now are effectively betting on what the combined company looks like twelve to eighteen months from today.For the remainder of 2026, SoundHound will be judged on its standalone execution. The company reported $169 million in revenue for 2025 with a net loss of $14 million, according to Constellation Research. Management’s 2026 standalone guidance of $225 million to $260 million implies continued strong growth, but the market will want to see that momentum hold before giving the stock meaningfully more credit.The Q1 2026 earnings report, expected around May 6, will be the first real test. If revenue growth stays on track and the company shows improving margins alongside the LivePerson announcement, sentiment could shift more decisively in the stock’s favor.Wedbush’s message is ultimately constructive but measured. The deal is strategically sound. The growth story remains intact. But the stock’s path higher from here depends on execution, not just ambition. For SoundHound investors, that is both the opportunity and the risk heading into the second half of the year.Related: SoundHound sent on roller coaster ride by insider activity