Retirement Wellness: 5 Elements To A Lifestyle You’ll Love
Retirement wellness is about more than having enough money. It’s a lifestyle change that will affect every area of your life, as well as your wallet.
Retirement is a big deal. Not only do you need enough money to cover the bills for the rest of your life, but you’re also facing a pretty dramatic lifestyle change. Couple that with possible health challenges, and anyone would feel a little overwhelmed.
So how do you prepare?
At Vance Wealth, we start with your big picture — because preparing for retirement isn’t just about financial planning.
In fact, financial well-being is defined[1] as:
- Having control over day-to-day, month-to-month finances
- Being on track to meet your financial goals
- Having the ability to absorb financial shock, and
- Having the financial freedom to make the choices that allow you to enjoy life
You can’t determine your financial picture without simultaneously considering your lifestyle, and we want to help you live well on every level. That’s why we created a retirement plan that looks at your big picture alongside your finances.
Here are the Five Elements of Retirement Wellness we believe will make this next exciting chapter as fulfilling as you dreamed it would be.
Financial Structure
Before you retire, it’s essential to have a strong financial foundation. This means getting and keeping the right job, opening accounts within the mainstream financial system, building an appropriate emergency fund, and keeping debt under control[2].
Once you’ve established a healthy foundation, you can begin to think about retirement. For this next financial phase of your life, you’ll need enough money and resources to cover at least two decades, while maintaining the kind of lifestyle that makes you feel safe, well cared for, and happy. You’ll also may need a system, or a plan, to help you manage your money, so your resources are spent gradually over an extended period of time.
Purpose
Pursuing your purpose and passion is what gives meaning to life. You’ve worked hard throughout your professional career because, one day, you want to be able to focus on your passions entirely. In retirement, you’ll have more time to revel in life’s beauty and meaning. Whatever it is that brings you to life — family, friends, travel, sports, volunteering, creative endeavors — is exactly how you should be spending your days.
Social
One of the best ways to bring meaning and joy into your day is to spend time with the people you cherish. It’s essential to maintain your relationships, and even broaden your network, in retirement. These connections will help you continue a path of personal growth and development; they’ll keep you from feeling like you’re slowing down too much. Engaging with different generations helps you maintain a sense of belonging in a world that’s quickly changing.
Physical Well-being
Not only does your health affect your wallet, but it also plays a factor in deciding what you can enjoy and for how long. Many people hope to travel in retirement, for example, but that means you also must maintain your physical health well enough to be able to do so with ease and vitality. Getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising often and avoiding risky behaviors — such as smoking or drinking in excess — will help you get the most out of your retirement.
Community
Lastly, the community you call home can have a significant impact on your ability to enjoy the later years of life. Local transportation, crime rates and accessibility will play a role in your ability to accomplish day-to-day tasks and engage with people. Housing is also a major factor. Your home should be adequately prepared for aging in place, if that’s your goal, and your housing situation should support your life activities and personal needs.
Learn More
If you would like to learn more, we are hosting a Retirement Wellness Workshop at both our Santa Clarita and Pasadena locations at various dates. Click here to view our Events Calendar and RSVP. Lunch or dinner and refreshments will be served.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “Financial well-being: The goal of financial education.” (December 2015).
- Forbes. “Retirement Wellness: Toward A More Complete Framework.” Anna Rappaport. (December 2016).
About Vance Wealth
Since 2003, Vance Wealth has served as a premier financial planning practice passionately committed to helping clients and families succeed at every step of their financial journey. Serving Southern California, the team at Vance Wealth delivers innovative and comprehensive wealth management strategies precisely customized to each client’s goals and needs. Our mission is to help our clients and families succeed at every step of their financial journey, inspiring them to achieve more. We are committed to stand by their sides to help make the difficult decisions, celebrate life’s joys and be a trusted partner for every moment in between. To learn more, call 661-775-0950, email [email protected] or visit VanceWealth.com. To keep up with more exciting news, follow @VanceWealth on Facebook.
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