Part 2: Will we have enough money along the way?

If you’ve already started thinking about retirement, then well done you. After all, you can’t have missed the multitude of financial firms reminding you that “it’s never too early to start saving for retirement”.
 

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring the ten things you should be asking yourself right now about your future in retirement. Second up to bat: “Will we have enough money along the way?”
 
 

Check the price tag

Once you know what you’re aiming for, you can start figuring out the price tag, right?
 

Yes, and no. You need to know what your retirement will cost, but ‘price tags’ are things that apply to a one-off purchase. The hot tub you splash out on will have a price tag. But we’re not just dealing with one-off purchases here.
 

It’s important to remember that retirement isn’t an ending – it’s a phase of your life that could last many years. The average lifespan in Ireland today is 80 for men and 84 for women – that’s just the average of course, so you could be retired for 20 years, or 25 years, or maybe longer. Your wealth needs to last as long as you do, ideally longer. You want some money left over at the end of your life, not life left over at the end of your money.
 
 

Treat yourself?

While there’s an element of ‘reward’ to retirement, your pay-off for a life well lived, there’s much more to it than that. It’s about how you’ll continue living the best life possible with the money you have, for as long as you can.
 

Eric Arnold was a man who knew about perspective. He climbed Everest several times in his career and when asked what he’d learned, he said something very interesting:
 

“Two-thirds of the accidents happen on the way down. If you get euphoric and think ‘I’ve reached my goal,’ the most dangerous part is still ahead of you.”
 
A little morbid? Maybe, but if it is, then it’s only to underline a key point. You only get one life. Whether you spend it scaling Everest or staying at sea level, it’s precious. You want to be happy on the day you retire, but you’ll still want to be happy and fulfilled a few years down the line.
 
 

Stick With The Plan

We frequently remind clients to #StickWithThePlan and it’s just as true of retirement as it is for the years that come before it. As your financial planners, we’ll make sure your plan continues to evolve with you. It’s our job to keep step with your risk profile and stay aligned to your goals.
 
Stay tuned for question three: “How do we gather everything together in one place?”
 

If you simply can’t wait and want to read all about it right now, you can sign up to download the guide in full here.

Talk to us

Whether you’re just beginning to think about retirement, your plan is already under way, or it’s finally time to stop putting it off, we’d love to help.

Call us for an introductory chat and we’ll see where you’re up to. If you like what you hear, we can meet and go through your vision for retirement as you see it.

It’s free and you don’t need to come with a plan – that’s what we’re here for.