Once upon a time (that’s the way all fairy tales start) retirement meant inactivity — an aged couple sitting on a porch, rocking away their after-work years.
If that picture of retirement was ever true, it certainly isn’t today.
What have you got planned for your retirement — travel to exotic locations, hitting the highway in your RV, volunteering for your favourite charity, heading back to school, or even starting a new business?
Today’s retirees tend to jump not toddle into their third age, looking forward to many years of excitement, fulfillment and, oh yes, fun!
And what does it take to make your retirement dreams come true?
Good health and a positive attitude — absolutely — and something else: money. That’s why you’ve spent years building your retirement savings — so you can make your third age as wonderful, personal and fun-filled as you wish.
Yes, you’ll have to use some of your nest egg income to cover essential expenses for food, health care, utilities and other everyday living costs. But how you choose to use the rest of your money is entirely up to you.
The key is to make sure you have enough money to fund your essential needs and fun interests — whatever they may be — for all your retirement years. And that takes planning — the same kind of planning that went into building your retirement nest egg in the first place.
Your retirement financial plan should make sure your hard-earned investments last longer and go farther. It should ensure a steady, predictable cash flow that will cover all your expenses. And that means being very selective about your investment options.
Talk to your professional adviser about the best ways to cash in on the retirement of your dreams — and keep them well-funded for life.
Want to know how ready you are for retirement and how to get the most out of your retirement years? Go to www.investorsgroup.com and take the interactive Investors Group Retirement Readiness™ Quiz.
It’s a great way to assess your emotional, financial, social and physical preparedness for retirement. And don’t forget to have fun.
J. Kevin Dobbelsteyn is a certified financial planner with Investors Group Financial Services Inc.. His column appears every Wednesday.
