Does “Hey Wake Up – You Can’t Take It With You”, get you thinking? Can we enjoy our journey to a nest egg, or does it have to be all sacrifice, doing without, and scrimping? Silly question? Not really.
The average American works 40 to 45 years and expects to retire at age 66, up from 63 in 2002. This is according to a recent Gallup poll. * Does this surprise you? Working 40 to 45 years is a long time and the American work ethic has traditionally implied we should wait to enjoy life after we retire. To get our nest egg we must work hard, long hours perhaps sacrificing some family time, skipping vacations, doing without so one day we can retire and do whatever we want. We are always looking to the future in anticipation of that big day. I would like to suggest this is a mistake. I have advised clients over four decades and listened to a wide range of opinions on retirement. What saddens me is regardless of a client’s opinion on how to accumulate a retirement nest egg, not all clients make it to retirement. We simply do not know how much time we’re given in this world. It is because of this fact I always advise clients not only to plan for retirement, but plan for life. Managing significant retirement funds is a major part of what I do but encouraging clients to reward their efforts along the way is equally important. I make it a point to encourage using some of our savings to take a trip, go somewhere you’ve never been, seek out experiences you’ve never had. There’s no chapter in our retirement handbook preventing us from enjoying life along the way.
My job as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional is to carefully listen to my client’s wishes and desires. We chart a course to achieve wishes and desires, monitor progress, and adjust along the way. During scheduled reviews we also discuss the present. “What have you done that’s fun lately? “Have you had any unique experiences?” I remind them all work and no play is a mistake
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Where are we going this summer?
In my next post I'm going to share my plans for a fun summer trip for my wife and I. We have it all planned out and we are excited so see you on my next post.
* https://smartasset.com/retirement/average-retirement-age-in-every-state-2016