What Are You Retiring TO? Bridging Your Means To Your Meaning
Professional financial advice has traditionally focused on helping you make and save more money during your most productive, working years, so that you have “enough” to retire. But planners weren’t asking clients what the money was for – which would certainly help you understand what “enough” means for you. I subscribe to The Return On Life™ Philosophy which puts your desired lifestyle needs at the center of the financial planning process. It’s about helping you live the best life possible with the money you have.
As your retirement transition guide, I will share with you a variety of methods and tools to help you look more closely at what’s working in your plan and what might need adjustment. Our goal will always be to get you the greatest ROL™ possible, confidently, clearly, and consistently.
Moving From Retirement Saving to Retirement Spending
As you shift from saving to spending, your financial strategy should empower not prohibit you. Over time, your plan focus will increasingly be on the reliability of income while mitigating risk. And that’s not all to consider: what is your expected longevity? How might inflation affect your plan? What happens if the market turns volatile? It’s important to have these challenging conversations early and often, so that you have the best chance of living life on your own terms.
When Life Changes, Money Changes. And When Money Changes, Life Changes
My approach to a sound retirement income strategy involves dividing retirement funds into separate segments, each with its own investment objective and time horizon. The number and length of segments are customized to your cash flow needs. Assets available for near term income are invested more conservatively to try to avoid the market roller coaster. Other assets would be protected for later retirement years; the goal is to have them fully invested so you can benefit from potential market growth. This time-segmented structure and approach to designing a personalized lifetime income plan that is based on your retirement spending goals will give you the peace of mind to sleep at night – and be excited to wake up in the morning!
Can Your Plan Power Your Life?
If you are unsure about how your plan serves your lifestyle, and if you are unable to describe – in general terms – how your money and investments are serving you, then it might be time to consider looking at your advisor and your plan with fresh eyes. My greatest wish is to for you to confidently rely on a financial plan that doesn’t overpromise and under deliver.
Return On Life - The ROL Index
Are you getting the best life possible with the money you have?
We have an exciting tool called the ROL Index that will help you answer that question. It consists of 20 questions that are grouped into three categories: Well-Being, Progress, and Freedom.
Based on your responses, the ROL Index creates a measure of your life satisfaction. The results will have a profound effect on how you think about your financial planning and your life. Get started HERE.
