You may think that you have plenty of time before you have to think about your twilight years. You might not even have kids, have found a partner or have even bought your own house yet.
However, when it comes to preparing for your future, it’s never too early to consider finances, living arrangements and life goals. Life has a funny way of throwing us curveballs when we least expect them, and it pays to be as prepared as possible.
When you try and visualise yourself a little bit greyer, a smidgen older and infinitely wiser, what do you want to be doing once you’ve waved goodbye to your job and entered your retirement?
Take a look at the things you should be thinking about when looking to the future.
Where To Live
Many retirees decide to live out the rest of their days by the coast, in the countryside or even abroad.
Living the dream for some means cashing in assets and retiring where the sun is always shining, the cost of living is relatively low, and other like-minded folks are living around you. Sometimes things don’t always go to plan, and you may have to consider alternative arrangements. Injuries and illnesses can strike at any time and may result in you needing to research top quality care homes like the ones run by Porthaven. Saving some of your cash for this potential curveball could save you a lot of money and stress in the long run.
If you fancy escaping to the sun, consider investing in overseas property while you’re still young.
With any luck, the humble abode that you purchase on a Balearic will have its mortgage paid off and have gone up in value by the time you’re ready to settle overseas.
Finances
It goes without saying that you need to be financially buoyant to enjoy your twilight years.
You need to ensure you have enough money coming in each month from pensions, annuities and other investments to cover your cost of living. Bouncing from month to month living a frugal lifestyle when you’re older isn’t much fun. Take a look at your savings and see if they can work more aggressively for you. Consider Forex trading, investing in property and becoming an amateur landlord or having a dabble in the cryptocurrency market.
Make an appointment with a financial advisor who can work out how much you will need in retirement and work out a strategy to ensure you achieve this.
If you enjoy a decent pension from your job, ensure that you are paying enough into it so that your employer has to match your contribution. This can bump up your pension pot considerably.
If you’ve had a few jobs consider commuting all of your separate pensions into your current scheme to create a simpler approach to your future income.
Retirement isn’t something we can envisage easily when it appears so far away.
However, by preparing early and getting your financial ducks in a row, you have a greater chance of enjoying your twilight years.
