(All posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy)
Retirement is closer for some than it is for others. However, no matter how far away you are from your planned age of retirement, it’s never too early or too late to start planning for it. Below you can find some of the areas you should think about when it comes to this planning.
Plan financially
As mentioned in this article, it is a must that you ask for financial advice when it comes to planning for retirement. You need to do so because, at the point of your retirement, you’ll need all the help you can get when it comes to managing your money. Why is this? Because you won’t have your income anymore and will primarily be living off what you have managed to save from it. Also, you’ll find yourself with a lot more free time on your hands, and free time goes hand in hand with the spending of money. So, get assistance, and get it from a professional in the field of retirement saving and planning.
But actual human beings aren’t the only advisors you can turn to when it comes to planning financially for retirement. No, technology can help you with that too. Specifically, a calculator can — and it can help you to break down exactly what you need in a world full of money saving choices. The Roth 403(b) retirement savings plan, that was incepted in January 2006, has meant that more and more people are unsure as to what plan is for them. Originally, there was just one choice: the 403(b). But isn’t more choice better? Doesn’t more choice mean that you have a better potential of maximising your retirement output in a way that is tailored to you? In any case, on the Internet there can be found a 403(b) calculator that will help you to decide which plan is in fact for you. In this calculator you are asked to provide basic details about yourself and your retirement plans. These include your age, your planned age of retirement, your planned annual contribution to a plan and the rate by which you expect your savings to develop and grow each financial year. When you provide all of these details, and provide them correctly, you will find out not only what plan is best for you, but what that plan can do for you.
Plan where to live
This one will be easier to plan when you are fast approaching retirement as you’ll have a better grasp of the kind of person you’ll be when you actually do retire, but it never hurts to give it a think anyway no matter your age. And the biggest thing you should cover when you do think about it is not where you want to live, but where you need to live. It’s not new news that those who retire are generally elderly — in fact, the average age of retirement is going up every year. And because you are more than likely going to be elderly when you do retire, you may require different things from your home. For instance, you may need a smaller one. A smaller home, such as a one-storey bungalow, may be the best thing for as it would mean you wouldn’t have to tackle stairs each and every day. Now, this may seem a bit far-fetched as, even at retirement age, physical health is generally good. However, isn’t it a good idea to settle yourself into your twilight years as soon as possible? Isn’t it better to get your housing plans after retirement sorted when you are in the right mind and body to do so? If you were ever to suffer from ill health further down the line, it would be harder to get not only necessary housing, but housing that you actually like. This doesn’t mean you have to begin fitting your home with hand-rails and a stair-lift just yet; it just means don’t be afraid to downsize! When you do so, you might have actually find that you love it and wish you did it years before.
Plan when you want to retire
Last but not least, you have to plan when you actually want to retire. And deciding when you want to retire is, surprisingly, one of the biggest problems you will face in your retirement plans. Many people use their financial capabilities as the definitive guide when faced with planning this all-important life change. However, yes, as previously mentioned planning financially is a massively important part of planning for retirement in the right way; but no, it isn’t the be all and end all of retirement. There are a host of other factors that you should take into account when faced with this decision. One is your personal relationships: will your closest relationships be in any way bettered, or worsened by your retirement? If so, is now really the right time to retire? Another factor that you should take into account is your health. Sometimes, health forces retirement, and sometimes it may prompt it. In this case, you really should listen to your body. The final aspect you should take into account is your happiness — specifically, your happiness at work. Do you actually enjoy your job and can’t even bare the thought of not doing it anymore, let alone actually not doing it anymore? If this is the case, then maybe it’s best to hold off on retirement for as long as possible. The most important thing is is that you retire when you, yourself feel completely ready to face the next faze of your life. You shouldn’t be forced to retire on somebody else’s say so.
Anybody can begin planning for retirement — those in their twenties who are just starting out in the world of work, or those in their fifties who are approaching typical retirement age. However, no matter what age you begin planning for retirement, you should always give the three core points above a thought. You should most certainly give your financial capacities a thought — no matter your age. You should give your housing situation a thought — especially if you are approaching retirement. And you should give when you want to retire a thought — this one, truly, can only be thought about when you are on the brink of retiring.
