Tony Wiley Chicago - You have spent so many years working hard and going through a daily grind to chase your dreams. It is the moment to slow down and think about the coming years of your life, often described as the golden years. Retirement: It is that phase of life when you wish to live to the fullest without any boundations and barriers. One more aspect of this golden phase that is not very pleasing is having no source of regular income . How do you wish to manage your daily expenses and complete your wish list without any money in your pocket? This is why you must be prepared for the changes in the retirement years or maybe you need to plan the things according to your wish list. Firstly, decide a date of your retirement. This step will help you identify the time you have to plan for the final moment. The retirement date will keep motivating you to work harder and accomplish the goals you've set for your retirement. If you are aware that only a few years are left in the retirement, then it is easy to finish of the most essential tasks within that time span. Just list down the things you want to do before the final day, and start completing them one by one. Secondly, it is the time to know about your financial state. Savings, debts, mortgages, investments, expenses, etc. Prepare a retirement planning worksheet in which you clearly state all the figures of your savings on one column, mortgages and debts on the second column, expenses and investments in the third. It is said that at the time of retirement, you must have at least 70-80% of your current income with you. So, look at the chart and see where do you stand according to this figure. If you lag behind, then pull up the socks and start getting more active towards saving. Debts and mortgages can also be counted in the expenses, as this money is gone from your account on regular intervals. On fixing the date of your retirement, you will know that in this short period, you have to overcome the pressure of these debts. You are definitely not willing to take the burden of these debts in your retirement years. The situation will get worse with no income and hefty debt amounts. Talk to your spouse about your retirement plans and encourage their thoughts on these ideas. This conversation will help in understanding each others requirement for the later years of life, when both of you would like to have a peaceful life. Discuss and come to a common solution to all the money problems you need to solve before the retirement. A support from a family member in this planning plays a vital role in the success of the process.
