After years of hard work and dedication, it is finally almost here – your retirement. But, before you finally cross that finish line and are free to relax and enjoy spending more time with your friends and family, there are some valuable financial moves you should be making when planning for retirement. So, let’s take a closer look at some helpful tips to make sure you are financially ready to retire.
First things first, you need to ensure you have a budget planned out and ready. Planning for retirement means understanding that you are now going to be living without a paycheck. Outline your savings and regular daily expenses, so you have them clearly in front of you. Next, be sure to factor in non-essential other expenditures like a gym membership or cable. With these costs clearly detailed, you can see where your money is going and better organize your spending. Making a retirement budget doesn’t have to be complicated; it can be a simple process that will leave you feeling more confident about your retirement.
Do you have TSFAs or RRSPs with designated beneficiaries? If you do, be sure to review your beneficiaries and check if everything is still set up correctly. For example, maybe you have an ex still designated as a beneficiary. Or you need to add your other children as beneficiaries. It is important to review these accounts because they may have been set up at a different time in your life and require some reviewing and possibly even an update.
We can carry a lot of debt into retirement, and it can leave you feeling very limited. If you still have credit card debt, tackle that first and clear it as quickly as you can. Then, after your credit cards are paid off, move on to more significant debts like car loans and mortgages. You can carry debt into retirement, but as most will agree, it isn’t ideal. Free up as much as you can when planning to retire so that you can make the most out of your retirement. If you are looking for further reading about debt and retirement, Forbes has a great article about the types of debts people most commonly carry into retirement and how to take care of them.
Before you retire, it is a good idea to get in the habit of adjusting to your new planned retirement spending. You will need to get comfortable with different spending and savings habits when you retire. So, give yourself a test run now while you’re still working – cut out any expenses you won’t need in retirement and adjust to living without them for a while so you can feel ready for retirement.
Think about the people you have in your life – your spouse, children, and grandchildren. Will they be financially stable after you’re gone? Life insurance helps financially safeguard your loved ones when you pass away. But, unfortunately, people often overlook the benefits the right life insurance plan can provide when planning for retirement. Factor it into your planning as life insurance can provide some form of stability after a difficult time. At Specialty Life Insurance, we offer three products that can help anyone approaching retirement better protect their family members.
First, our Excelsior Plan will help cover your final costs and debts like funeral expenses, so they don’t fall to your family. The funds can help cover daily expenses while focusing on your recovery and getting back to your retirement. Our Paramount Term Life Insurance can provide robust coverage up to $500,000 for income replacement, mortgage payments and more. Finally, our Sentinel+ Accidental Death Plan helps provide a monetary benefit to your family if something should happen to you. If you have a dangerous job and are approaching retirement, this plan can be invaluable and help ensure your loved ones are secure without you.
If you are looking for coverage, our plans require no medical exams and no face-to-face meetings with agents. Our process is simple, quick and instantly issues your coverage after you finish applying. If you need more information or would like a free, no-obligation quote, please contact us now.