Retiring to a Place or a State of Mind?

Work in the modern age has become more virtual — meaning many people can conduct their jobs from home or on the road, thanks to smart phones, laptops and iPads. We used to refer to work as a place, as in “I’m going to work.” Now it’s really more of a verb: “I’m going to work.” Here, now, wherever I happen to be.

Can the same be said for retirement? It used to be a phase of life, as in “he’s in retirement” or “she is retired now.” But for many people, retire is now a verb: “I’m going to retire from doing this…so that I can go and do this…” After all, a secondary definition of the word is simply to withdraw to or from a particular place. And many of today’s retirees are doing just that.

[CLICK HERE to read the article, “The One Thing You Must Do Before Retirement,” at Prevention magazine, September 2013.]

[CLICK HERE to read the article, “What Do You Actually Do When You Retire?” at Kiplinger, March 16, 2013.]

Planning for retirement isn’t all about income planning — it’s also about social planning, hobby planning and intellectual challenge planning. Because once you retire, you may not know what to do with yourself.

A generation or two ago, retirees had plans. They were going to golf every day, tinker in the garden, woodwork in the garage. But that was back when retirement was little more than 10 years. In today’s world, in which retirement could realistically last 30 years, you could get bored with all of those things. 

Work — the noun and the verb — has become more integrated into our daily lives. Because we’re “on call” via our smartphones all day, every day, what we do for a living has come to define our lives and our lifestyles. It’s why we seek work/life balance benefits in an employer compensation package — so that we can find ways to separate what we do from who we are.

[CLICK HERE to read the research report, “Work Longer, Live Healthier,” at the Institute of Economic Affairs, May 16, 2013.]

[CLICK HERE to read the article, “What Will You Do When You Retire?” at Nolo.com, 2013.]

Because of this work/life integration, many people who retire don’t know what to do with themselves during their golden years. Perhaps they worked so many hours throughout their careers that they never really developed many hobbies they can pursue during retirement. Or because their way of relieving the work/life balance dilemma was to work out or play sports, but the hobbies they enjoyed are no longer suited to an older person’s body and joints.

So what’s the plan? The answer to that is as personal as your financial strategy. It may even be integrated with your financial strategy, as many retirees are moving to exotic locales such as Ecuador or Thailand because it’s an affordable place that provides variety, flavor and challenges to make retirement years interesting and fulfilling.

[CLICK HERE to read the article, “7 Reasons to Retire in Thailand,” at US News & World Report, Sept. 12, 2013.]

[CLICK HERE to read the article, “Retire Here, Not There: Ecuador,” at Marketwatch.com, May 13, 2013.]

[CLICK HERE to read the article, “Retirement Living: Top metro areas for retirees,” at USA Today, Sept. 9, 2013.]

We work with lots of retired folks, and lots of people planning for retirement, so we know the challenges and issues you may face — even the ones you may not have considered. Because your finances are designed to support your retirement — whether you view that as a noun or a verb — we can assist you with developing a retirement income strategy. Please give us a call.

[CLICK HERE to view the slideshow, “10 of the best things to do in retirement,” at Marketwatch.com, April 9, 2013.]

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The information and opinions contained herein are provided by third parties and have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by our firm. Content is provided for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell the products mentioned. The information is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual’s situation.

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