Are you ready for retirement? More importantly, are you asking the right questions about retirement?
Retirement planning is much more than a magic number that answers the question “How much is enough?” It’s a process of you and your advisor working together to make sure you’re asking the right questions: Should I retire? How will I continue to provide for my family? What will I do next? How does retiring help me fulfill God’s purpose in my life? How will I determine what my next chapter is?
The Bible is virtually silent on the concept of retirement, and makes no mention of ceasing work at age 60 or 65. As you approach retirement, don’t look at it as an end. Rather, look at it as a beginning. It is the start of the next phase in your service in God’s kingdom. With proper planning and wise stewardship, you may become financially free to use your talents and abilities to fulfill God’s next purposes for your life, even after your primary career is completed.
In a robust economy, many investors mistakenly believe that strong investment returns will continue, and that there is no need to plan or save for a leaner future. On the other hand, some investors are so aggressive when it comes to retirement savings that they rob themselves – and their families – of opportunities to enjoy life and be generous toward others.
The Bible is virtually silent on the concept of retirement, and makes no mention of ceasing work at age 60 or 65. As you approach retirement, don’t look at it as an end. Rather, look at it as a beginning. It is the start of the next phase in your service in God’s kingdom. With proper planning and wise stewardship, you may become financially free to use your talents and abilities to fulfill God’s next purposes for your life, even after your primary career is completed.
In a robust economy, many investors mistakenly believe that strong investment returns will continue, and that there is no need to plan or save for a leaner future. On the other hand, some investors are so aggressive when it comes to retirement savings that they rob themselves – and their families – of opportunities to enjoy life and be generous toward others.
Neither extreme is healthy – and neither reflects wise stewardship, an important component of financial planning. The two primary tools for saving for your retirement – qualified retirement plans, which may be available through your employer, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) – each offer a tax incentive for saving.
These alternatives offer significant advantages that your advisor will consider in the financial planning process. A thorough review of all of your available options, along with projections for reaching financial independence, can provide you with:
These alternatives offer significant advantages that your advisor will consider in the financial planning process. A thorough review of all of your available options, along with projections for reaching financial independence, can provide you with:
- Resources to help identify the best time to retire
- Confidence that your investments may be sufficient for your lifetime
- Financial peace of mind regarding “how much is enough”
- The specific steps needed to reach your goal of retirement
- A strategy to use your savings in a tax efficient manner
- A plan to live life to its fullest during your retirement years
- An understanding of how inflation, investment return, and lifestyle decisions impact your projected retirement time frame