There is so much advice out there these days that discuss living in the moment and making the most of your life. How you should take each day as it comes and be in the present moment and the here and now. All of which is really good advice. You can’t do anything about the past ca you? So there is no point dwelling on it or trying change something that you just have no control over anymore. But, your future is always worth the consideration. When you have a moment to think about it. You can make a real difference to it, like anything it is the book that is unwritten and you have the opportunity to make the change and write your future exactly how you want it to be moving forward.
It’s all about making plans for the future, really. To make sure that you are secured in your home, financially, and your health and happiness. When retirement comes round what are you going to do with yourself? Do you even have a plan for the next twelve months and the things you want to change? With all the festivities coming to an end January presents you with a golden opportunity to make the plans and consider your future. Whether that is for the next twelve months, five years or beyond. It just takes a moment from time to time to put some plans together so that when the future becomes your present you can live in the moment. Just like you are doing so now. Comfortable and happy with your choices. If you haven’t already here are the things to consider to make sure your future is bright and that you can really make the most of it. Forget those January blues and turn the situation into a positive, starting right now.
What are you going to do when retirement starts?
Of course, it’s difficult to predict how you will feel when the time comes to leave your work life and career behind. But having an idea of what you would like to do would be worth it. Do you plan on travelling? Perhaps learning something new? If travelling is something you may want to consider, then maybe have an outline of the places you want to visit. The cultures you want to experience. This is when a bucket list could prove very useful and it is something you can start putting together right now. Planning where you want to go and the places you want to see at some stage of your life. It doesn’t matter if you end up ticking one of those destinations off sooner than expected, that’s the beauty of it. Also you may want to think about developing a savings plan now to enable you to afford those luxuries of travel. It could be extremely beneficial. Saving just the smallest amount each month starting from today will add up by the time you have to use it. Of course, the best advice would be to save an amount that you can afford, so that you don’t miss the money or end up dipping into those savings when big bills arise. It takes the worry out of saving and also allows you to live out your retirement exactly how you want to. It just takes a few ideas of how you want to spend the time, to avoid any period of nothing.
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Are you financially secure for your future?
There are many ways you can secure your future financially, and many of them could be started right now. The earlier you start to think about it the better off you will be when it comes to disposable income. You may want to look into a pension to start with. Your employer may already have these things in place for you which is ideal as you contribute from your salary each month and so will your employer. You don’t tend to miss the money because you have never had that money in the first place. Building up a value for when the times comes to cash it in. Additionally, you may want to invest in a personal pension yourself which can be a great decision on top of any other investments and savings you make for your future. Employment pensions don’t tend to be as lucrative as some of the private ones you can get on the market. Again little and often will all add up in years to come. You could just decide to put some money away yourself each month which we have already discussed when it comes to saving for the things you want to.
Finally, you could think about equity release as a way to fund your retirement or future. The method of borrowing against home equity for responsible, long-term, retirement funding has been seen as effective for many people before, which is why it is seen as a good retirement funding tactic. Maybe you might want to do think about doing this right now. You may have spent years paying off a mortgage, or own your property out right. Or perhaps you have made some improvements to your home that has seen its value increase dramatically. It doesn’t mean you have to move to get some of the value back. You could release equity and have a lump sum. Mortgage brokers such as Altrua.ca may have some options for you consider and take away some of the hard work involved. This could then pay towards a holiday, more home improvements or just allow you to enjoy your later years. Whether you choose to may the next year memorable, or save for the future, your property could hold all of the answers. Having worked so hard over the years, it’s only right to have some fun when all that is over.
Where do you want to spend your time?
The last thing to consider would be where you want to live, whether that be right now or in the future. You may only live in the place you do now because it’s convenient for work, close to family, or has great local schools as you have a family to consider. Is that going to be right for the future? Is this place even right for the next few years? Maybe there is somewhere you’ve always wanted to live but because of those practicalities, you will never get round to it. Then put it in your mind to do it when you can. You might love the idea of living in the country, another town to explore or even abroad to experience a different culture or different pace of life. We spend a lot of our lives doing things we have to do just because we feel we have no choice. Working to pay bills. Living close to family or schools for the benefit of our young family. But that doesn’t mean it has to be this way. Often it can be just as important to experience new things, step out of your comfort zone and do things different. Whether that is during your retirement years or over the next few years. January is the ideal time to really think about what you want, and although some of the decisions you might want to make might be a little scary, it could be well worth taking that leap of faith. When retirement comes round and the family is all grown up do you really want to look back on your life and think you just did things because you through it was the right thing to do or you felt you had no choice? I don’t think so.
You don’t need to spend lots of time thinking about these things. But by putting a few things in place and, at least, having a plan, you are well on your way to having a secure and bright future. Be that right now, or way ahead into your future.
