Sometime in your 60's or 70's your mortality alarm will go off. Mine went off when I turned age 70 and handed over my retirement planning business to my son and Buckingham Strategic Wealth.
Conventional wisdom and practice keeps our inevitable demise and its dimensions off-limits in most day to day conversations. However, when you are in the retirement planning business, the longevity conversation is center-stage when a client asks: "Will my money last as long as I will?" My typical response was: "Are you more concerned about living too long or dying too soon?" Indeed, most of the clients were more concerned about outliving their money and becoming dependent on others.
In order to focus the conversation, we suggested that clients go to www.livingto100.com and answer the 40 questions that will suggest your life expectancy. I am am expected to live to 92 and Paula to 105. So at my age 70 and Paula at age 68, we have the potential for 22-37 years in retirement. With that assumption and a first-rate financial planner, we can answer the money question.
But the money question is not The Question. The Question is: will you purposefully invite the reality of your longevity into your awareness or ignore it until the moment it is upon you?
I can tell you that the awareness of the absolute nature of our longevity has provided the inspiration to commit to finding new purpose and meaning for our lives. This realization is the energy behind the concept of the "7th Inning Stretch in the game of life". We hope through this blog and our ReFirement coaching to lead you to the realization that the 7th Inning Stretch is an opportunity for you to recognize that you have the personal power to change your game NOW. The payoff will be meaningful and purposeful final innings that could make these years the best years of your life.
Conventional wisdom and practice keeps our inevitable demise and its dimensions off-limits in most day to day conversations. However, when you are in the retirement planning business, the longevity conversation is center-stage when a client asks: "Will my money last as long as I will?" My typical response was: "Are you more concerned about living too long or dying too soon?" Indeed, most of the clients were more concerned about outliving their money and becoming dependent on others.
In order to focus the conversation, we suggested that clients go to www.livingto100.com and answer the 40 questions that will suggest your life expectancy. I am am expected to live to 92 and Paula to 105. So at my age 70 and Paula at age 68, we have the potential for 22-37 years in retirement. With that assumption and a first-rate financial planner, we can answer the money question.
But the money question is not The Question. The Question is: will you purposefully invite the reality of your longevity into your awareness or ignore it until the moment it is upon you?
I can tell you that the awareness of the absolute nature of our longevity has provided the inspiration to commit to finding new purpose and meaning for our lives. This realization is the energy behind the concept of the "7th Inning Stretch in the game of life". We hope through this blog and our ReFirement coaching to lead you to the realization that the 7th Inning Stretch is an opportunity for you to recognize that you have the personal power to change your game NOW. The payoff will be meaningful and purposeful final innings that could make these years the best years of your life.
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