Retirement

With more than 95% of American workers currently covered by Social Security, there are some things about this massive retirement program that you should probably know.

If you’ve always dreamed of living abroad, now may be the best time. Today, there are around 400,000 American retirees residing outside the United States, with that number expected to grow over the next few years. Cost of living is often cited as one of the main reasons for the move.

While no one expects to become disabled, 1 in 4 Americans do so prior to retirement age. An accident, an unforeseen medical event, a catastrophic injury can all lead to temporary or permanent disability. So, what happens when you suddenly find yourself unable to work?

If you’re approaching retirement age, you may be considering a move to a more retirement-friendly state, particularly if your current state of residence imposes numerous taxes on social security, pensions, and other retirement income.

30 is a divisive number. To the young, it’s the time when you’re thrust into full blown adulthood, whether you’re ready or not. To the young at heart, 30 may be considered the early years before your true confidence shines, in your career, in your relationships, or even in yourself.

If you’ve ever played the Game of Life board game, it becomes clear that compressed into the colorful path there are various stages of life. Each stage holds its own major financial challenges as well as prospective profits in addition to surprises (new baby!) and forks in the road.

Without fail as Tax Day approaches every year, the mind whirls while you check boxes and fill in numbers about everything you could have, should have, would have done to save more money on taxes. Could you have saved more? Invested better? Been smarter at charitable giving? Probably.

Here’s a thought: retirement doesn’t mean the end. It doesn’t mean an end of self-importance or purpose, it just means a new chapter—a paradigm shift of what life is beyond long days and meetings and bosses. Unless you own your own business, and even then, you are not your business.