Why You Need PLAYchecks in Retirement
Summer’s finally here, and it’s beautiful in Maryland. There are so many things you can add to your Summer Bucket List such as sailing on the Chesapeake Bay or eating crab cakes at Chick and Ruth’s Delly before strolling down to the docks in downtown Annapolis. You’ve waited through the long cold winter months for the nice weather and freedom that summer has to offer and the possibilities seem limitless!
This is just like when you retire…you’ve worked hard through the years, diligently saving and investing your money to provide you with the retirement you’ve always dreamed of.
I like to think of your retirement in three stages. You’ve already experienced the joys of childhood, the awkwardness of adolescence, and the fun of adulthood where your ability to care for yourself was different in each stage. Your retirement will have similar stages too, where your capabilities and expenses will depend on the stage you’re currently in. I like to call them the Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go years.
3 Stages of Retirement
Go-Go Years: Just retired, healthy, and ready to do everything you’ve been putting off such as traveling and new hobbies. Expenses are usually a bit higher during this stage of retirement.
Slow-Go Years: Start slowing down, travel less, and spending typically slows down a bit as well.
No-Go Years: Health and long-term care become your biggest risks and affording medical care becomes your biggest concern.
Plan to Fund Your Go-Go Years
The Go-Go Years are the years right after retirement. You’re healthy, active, and ready to do everything you’ve been putting off while raising a family, accumulating wealth, and going to work everyday. This is the part of retirement you dream about and are most looking forward to, much like in the early summer months, the possibilities will seem limitless! The key is to plan for the Go – Go years and set assets aside to pay for your vacation, boat or second home. Directly after retirement is the time when you are most likely to be healthy and able to enjoy doing the things you’ve been dreaming of for years and we can build these expenses into your portfolio.
Have you always wanted to tour Europe? Let’s plan for that!
Have you always wanted to learn how to scuba dive? Let’s plan for that!
Have you always wanted to RV around the United States, visiting the grandkids along the way? Let’s plan for that!
Have you always wanted to buy a boat? We can plan for that too.
Many of the possibilities in retirement can become a reality with the proper planning, but one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when preparing to retire is not accounting for how they will pay for their dreams.
Your Retirement Income Should Provide PAYchecks and PLAYchecks
When planning your retirement income sources, I like to use Tom Hegna’s terms of PAYchecks and PLAYchecks. The PAYcheck pays for all of their necessary bills and living expenses. They should be funded with dependable and consistent sources of income, such as your savings account, CDs, fixed annuities, and money market accounts. The PLAYcheck pays to fund their retirement dreams during their Go-Go Years and carry some risk by being tied to the market, but also have the potential to grow. You could use mutual funds and variable funds for this.
Just as it’s inevitable that fall will come and some items on your Summer Bucket List will be left undone, your Slow-Go and No-Go Years will come too. We want you to make the most of your Go-Go Years and building PLAYchecks into your retirement portfolio is the way to do it.