Financial Pathways Retirement Wall Of Fame
Lewis and Karen (Seattle Wa)
aren was previously an executive at a major New Jersey based consumer products company. Lewis worked for the federal government. Good planning and a frugal pre-retirement lifestyle allowed them to retire years earlier than most. They are living out their retirement dream near their daughter, son in law, and grandchildren in Seattle.
"We now have the time to take better care of ourselves, something that was previously an afterthought given our family situation and two hectic careers. We walk daily outdoors in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and we now take the time to prepare healthy meals, which we enjoy sharing with family and friends. We also do community volunteer work, and spend the rest of our time doting on our two wonderful grandchildren."
Pat and Keith (New Jersey)
What do you like best about retirement? The best thing about retirement is that we finally have time to do the things we love to do. Before retirement we were always trying to fit the fun activities into our work schedules. Now every day is Saturday! Also, it is awesome to never wake up to an alarm clock.
What surprised you most? We were anxious about being able to afford being retired. Thanks to Jim, our financial planner, we are enjoying a comfortable living without worry. It’s the best kind of surprise.
How do you spend your days? We’ve never used our boat so much in the 25 years we’ve had it, we’ve explored many parks and hiking trails we didn’t know existed, and traveled many miles on our bikes.
Advice for those retiring soon. If your financial planner says you can retire comfortably, do it! Time goes by too fast.
Jeff and Jill (New Jersey)
Jeff enjoyed a successful career in commercial real estate for Hallmark and Starbucks, retiring in 2016. He and Jill are enjoying traveling, exercising, volunteering, and chasing grandchildren (one of two pictured above)
What Do You Love About Retirement: "You own the day!"
Advice for Others: Don't wait too long. It's not about how many years you have left, its about how many healthy years are remaining to enjoy!
Chuck and Linda (New Jersey)
Chuck retired from a career in industrial sales, Linda worked for a large New Jersey based insurance company. They enjoy travelling and spending time with grandchildren. They joined a local gym to keep in shape. Chuck enjoys fishing and photography, Linda enjoys sketching and paining.
Best Thing About Retirement: Having time to pursue hobbies, go to the movies, or for a hike whenever the mood strikes us.
Advice for Aspiring Retirees: Set up and live on your retirement budget while you are still working, so there will be no surprises!
Adam and Lisa (New Jersey)
"My wife and I love to travel. My retirement was fueled by that desire and the ability to have an excellent financial plan. Our financial plan has provided us the confidence necessary to take that big step.
Robert and Susan (New Jersey)
Abel and Eneida (New Jersey)
What do you like best about retirement? Freedom from schedules. If I am doing something around the house, I can always stop and go out knowing I can continue the next day. When you are working that may need to wait until the following weekend. Retirement gives you lots more scheduling flexibility.
What surprised you most? I had some concern about being able to stay busy but surprisingly did not have any problems staying busy.
How did financial planning help? Financial planning provided me with a roadmap of how much I could spend each month on a long-term basis. This takes away a lot of the anxiety on whether you can retire comfortably and helps you understand what monthly budget you are working with.
What advice would you offer to those planning to retire soon? Seek financial guidance. This will help you understand how financially prepared you are as well as what your monthly income will reasonably be over the long-term. This takes away the financial anxiety and helps you focus on the better things retirement offers.
John and Adriana (New Jersey)
John was an elevator technician. He and Adriana retired several years ago, and still live right here in New Jersey. They enjoy travelling and "being able to do whatever we want whenever we want to do it". John offers a sound piece of advice for those hoping to retire soon: "Get out of debt"
What Do You Love About Retirement?
"Every day is a Sunday"
Rich and Beverly (New Jersey)
What do you like best about retirement? Not having to commute in inclement weather to and from my former place of employment. As if that was bad enough, I had to work outdoors in a bucket truck.
What surprised you the most? My life style of living did not change. I was able still do the things I love to do.
How do you spend your days? Since I like doing landscaping yard work, I cut the grass and sidewalk edging and clean up on a regular basis. I also repair lawn mowers for a very reasonable cost. I acquire many mowers in my travels and repair and refurbish them for sale. This gives me a little extra pocket money. I have a music room with a couple of Hammond organs which I play.
How did Financial Planning help? Financial planning was well worth my small investment. They showed me all the areas that could be problematic with my limited resources and my current portfolio. I had many things working against me for wanting to take an early retire at 62. My planner suggested I continue working for a while longer if possible. I continued to work until age 63 and 9 months. I had reached a point where as much as I liked the work, I could no longer deal with the extreme weather conditions. I did not want to work another winter.
Ed & Barb (New Jersey)
What do you like best about retirement? Not having a "work" schedule and having more flexible time at our disposal.
What surprised you most? How easily we slipped into the retirement mode. We think it's because we really thought it all through and did not do it spontaneously - you really have to be ready for this new free time. It needs to be planned.
How do you spend your days? Catching up on projects that fell by the wayside during the years we worked (that's ongoing). We do a bit of traveling when we can. We also volunteer at the church thrift shop. We were surprised (happily) with the birth of our granddaughter last year - she lives with us, so I guess that will tell you how we spend our days now!
How did financial planning help? Once we established our financial plan, it allowed us to be on autopilot with investments, distributions, taxes, etc. - not something we felt comfortable doing on our own.
What advice would you offer to those planning to retire soon? Seek reputable advice from a CFP - don't do it alone. Plan, plan, plan! Make sure you are emotionally and financially ready to take on this next step of your life. It's a big one!