Rick Atkinson

If you’re not yet retired, a well-prepared monthly budget provides a clear picture of what your current lifestyle costs.  You and your advisors need this information to determine when you can retire, how long your funds should last, whether you will need to make changes, etc. When you’re retired, setting and adhering to a budget…

One trend I uncovered as I interviewed retirees is the tendency to think about how we will be remembered after we have passed on. Both successful and unsuccessful retirees commented on this. However, successful retirees applied the results of their introspection quite differently. Unsuccessful retirees expressed a lot of regret – even bitterness – about…

Last Saturday, I attended the funeral of Rodney, who was a friend. Just prior to his passing, I, and two others who knew Rodney, visited him in the palliative care unit of a hospital. We had a wonderful conversation about shared experiences, common relationships, and memories. I didn’t expect our friend to die less than…

Retiring right requires a sound strategy. And if you didn’t get started early in your retirement planning, the second best time to start is now. Hear my insights and advice on how best to plan for life after work. Listen to my podcast which is part of the series created by The Retirement Wisdom. Here…

Today’s retiree understands that retirement is about much more than money, and that planning for non-monetary needs is important, including the prospect of living alone. Statistics:– 4.4 million Canadians live alone– 68% of seniors living alone are women– 20% of Canadians 65+ report lack of companionship as a major concern– 33% are at risk of…

Unfortunately, in today’s world there are many scams and frauds taking place – from charity misrepresentations and accounting frauds to computer scams, just to name a few. Extreme caution is to be exercised! If you are approached in person, by phone or e-mail to invest, send money, donate, or learn you have won a trip…