The gift of choice in retirement
By Phil Boys
Financial Adviser
My conversations with clients on when they want to retire starts when they come and see me for advice – whether they are in their 30’s and haven’t even had a chance to think about it, or, in their early 50’s and not quite sure what their position looks like before they can consider if retirement is actually an option anytime soon.
Irrespective of the age, the conversation is still vitally important… but having it early and taking action can often achieve one important factor: to give them choice.
Choosing when to retire is a really personal decision, and one that varies from one client to another. Whether it’s the arrival of grandkids and a desire to spend more time with the family, reaching a milestone date, a work event or a health scare and necessity to slow down – what ever that reason be, what’s important is that clients are given a choice… A choice to retire on their own terms knowing they have sufficient funds in place to support them through their retirement, instead of having their retirement date dictated to them.
That means starting the retirement journey on the front foot with a solid retirement plan in place. Many people underestimate the amount of planning that can go into retirement – both from and Adviser’s perspective, as well as the client’s. With a possibility of 30 years in retirement, it’s about making sure there’s a solid structure in place to fund the lifestyle you have been looking forward to, as well as being able to get through any hurdles that may arise along the way.
As a financial Adviser, it’s my job to manage the hurdles and let you make the important decisions about your retirement, like ‘what will get you out of bed in the morning?’ It’s about finding what you’re passionate about and how you’re going to enjoy your time. Is it taking up or enjoying existing hobbies, volunteering in the community or ticking off some of those items of the bucket list?
What ever it may be, take the small steps today to enable you to have more choices tomorrow.