“I found out retirement means playing golf, or I don't know what the hell it means. But to me, retirement means doing what you have fun doing.”
- Dick Van Dyke, Actor
The years go by, and before you know it, you have arrived.
Retirement can be beautiful- no pressing work deadlines, and lots of free time. And for a lot of us who are not yet 60, retirement may seem so far; yet so close.
But that doesn’t mean you just sit and let retirement take you by surprise. If you are planning to retire, there are some things you need to take care of first so that you don’t regret your decision later.
1. Reassess Your Savings Plan
Keep aside a good portion of your income as savings, keeping in mind the expected inflation. Since 2008 the rate of inflation has been around 7%. Most financial experts recommend a spend-to-save ratio of 70:30.
Also, clear off all your debts- home loans, car loans, educational loans, and any other kind of EMI. You don’t want to be spending all your savings paying off debts after retirement.
2. Evaluate Your Healthcare Insurance
Having the right kind of medical and health insurance is extremely important. According to The Economic Times, a senior citizen pays about anywhere between Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 each year in health insurance premiums, depending on the health of the insured and policy benefits. Those figures are no small amount.
So, you must educate yourself on various health insurance plans and choose the right one to avoid high medical expenses after you have retired.
3. Plan Your Budget
You don’t want to use up all your money and find yourself facing a shortage later on. Analyse your income, expenses, savings, and pension in order to come up with a realistic budget. Set an appropriate withdrawal rate (usually 4%), and also review your bank statements to get a better idea of your budget.
4. Make a Bucket List
Now to tackle the big question, “What to do when I retire?”
You are going to have a lot of time on your hands – so don’t waste it!
While the idea of having so much spare time sounds appealing, in reality, switching from an all-day work schedule to an unstructured one can be depressing. Make a bucket list of all the things you would like to do after retiring. Be it playing a favorite sport every week, gardening, touring world-famous locations, teaching, or spending time with your grandchildren, chalk out what you are going to do with your time.
Once you take care of all the pre-retirement needs, you’re all set to be free officially and have a pleasant retirement.
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