Considering where you will spend your time is every bit as important as considering how you will spend your time. Many retirees hope their current home will meet their retirement needs, or, rather, it’s more accurate to say many retirees prefer to stay in their current home. They like the neighbourhood and want to stay…

Working as a volunteer provides many benefits, including added structure, opportunities to meet new people, and personal fulfillment. Volunteering also gives us opportunities to develop new skills—skills we might use personally or perhaps eventually use in paid work. The options for volunteering are many. Rather than list examples in addition to those shown in the…

My daughter recently commented—complained a bit—that I am never at home these days. She’s right! Since becoming involved in the Showcase [charity event], I am at meetings, reviewing venues, recruiting, and training other volunteers, among other things. I have not worked this hard for a while, but I am having a blast. —Vince F., former…

Part 3: Company Pension Plans and Benefits Now it’s time to review your company pension plan and benefits. Company plans are as varied as the companies that offer them. Become familiar with your company’s plan. See what it offers and how it can add to your other retirement income sources. At the same time, ask…

How much money do you need to retire comfortably? Is it $250,000?  $500,000?  $1 million or more? What is a realistic amount based on your current and visualized lifestyle? Most people feel they need more money than they have. Ask a person with $500,000 in retirement savings how much they need for retirement, and they will likely…

Retirement can be the ideal time to take the leap into starting a business. The options are limitless. Many retirees also enjoy selling their handcrafted items. Avenues for sales include retail shops, craft fairs, flea markets, your own website, and websites such as Etsy that cater for such sales. The preparation needed to start and…

Working and volunteering can help you build and maintain a successful retirement. The added structure and opportunities to meet new people and develop new skills are just a few of the benefits. It should also be noted that many successful retirees work at paid jobs out of necessity. Please don’t let concerns over such work…

In today’s world with covid-19, more and more people are considering their will. As part of your estate planning, give special consideration to naming an executor. Your executor acts as your estate’s legal representative. The normal responsibilities of an executor are as follows: – Locating your original will and documents amending your will– Confirming with…

Many successful retirees work at paid and/or volunteer jobs. One of the benefits of working in retirement is a greater appreciation of your leisure hours. Retirees report that paid employment and volunteering also help eliminate “down” periods, caused by too much leisure time on their hands. Another reported benefit is the therapeutic value of keeping…

Many people contemplating retirement believe it is a time to throw you cares away, just relax and smell the roses. True, retirement is a time when you focus on yourself and it’s a time when work priorities change. However, keeping healthy should be part of every person’s journey into retirement – especially with the onslaught…

In the previous two posts, you were introduced to the retirement strategy of creating a balanced leisure lifestyle.  As mentioned, overwhelmingly, successful retirees emphasize the importance of building and implementing such a balanced lifestyle for a number of reasons including constructively knowing how best to spend your retirement years. A word of caution and advice: Be…

There is life after self-isolation and surviving the pandemic. After watching TV for hours, e-mailing or talking with friends, playing solitaire for the 50th time, why not think about life after work. When most people think about retirement, they imagine leaving a job they dislike, dropping out of the rat race, and turning their back…