ReFirement Life

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-...

During my years of working full-time, I always looked forward to my 3 day weekends and you probably do as well.  However, I do not look forward to the prospects of a 30 Year long weekend. I have spent the better part of my professional life helping people financially prepare for "retirement."   Frankly, I did a good job for them and for myself as well.  However, now that I have "arrived" at retirement and recognize that I could live well into my 90's, I recognize the next 20+ years of my life is a journey that I am not fully prepared for.  I am at the crossroads of "if I am what I do, then who am I when I don't? "  In other words, if my identity is my work, who am I when I am no longer working? One way to answer that question is to never stop working.  Despite the fact that I sold my business,  I still consult with a handful of clients that want my help, but it does not equate to 40 hours per week. So, I have begun asking myself some questi...