Whatever you do for a living, someday you’ll go back to being you. When you do, it’s good to know you’ll have the life and the future you really want.

 

So, what is it that you really want? That’s the first question.

 

There are many other good questions to ask yourself about retirement, but they all stem from this one. Have a clear picture of how you want your future to look – it’s both your starting point and your guiding star.

 
 

Ask your imagination

 
It’s not always easy to imagine yourself in retirement, because for much of your working life it’s something that ‘other people’ do. Even if you feel ready to engage with the idea, separate the generic notion of ‘retirement’ from the reality of your own.

 

Your retirement is about you and those closest to you. It’s not an off-the-peg affair and it’s important to make sure you don’t allow it to become so. It’s a reward for the hard work you’ve put in and it’s a chance to make good on the things you’ve promised yourself.

 

But it’s also your opportunity to make sure the future pans out in the way you want it to, so it’s essential to understand what the next years, the next decades, of life should look like.

 
 

To work, or not to work

 
You may decide to carry on working in a reduced capacity, or transition to a role as a non-executive director or consultant. On the other hand, retirement may be total – it could be all about golf for you, or travelling, or turning a neglected passion into a full-time hobby, it’s up to you. What matters is to decide on your target before you take aim.

 

Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s the job of your professional wealth planner to help you turn that into a tangible way forward. Getting your goals set down on paper in a formalised plan gives you your roadmap, your step-by step guide to getting where you want to be.

 

Your plan will be the yardstick we’ll use together to measure your progress, keep you on track and make sure you not only reach your target lifestyle, but maintain and protect it, now and in future.

 
 

Getting started

 
We’ve put together a short guide called ‘A Smarter Approach to Planning Your Retirement’. In this guide we’ll show you how to make a friend of the future and face the next stage of your life with clarity and confidence.

 

You can download the guide in full right here.

 

We’ll be back on the blog next week with Step 2: Get your full financial picture into sharp focus.

 
 

Get in touch

 
If you’re thinking about retirement, we’d love to find out how we can help. Whether you’ve been planning it for a while, you’re just starting out or it’s finally time to stop putting it off, the right time is now.

 

Proper planning early on will help you to understand when you can retire, what that retirement may look like, what you’ll do with your business and how you’ll make sure it’s all done securely.

 

Along with professionalism, expertise and experience, you can count on respect, transparency and a lifelong commitment. We’ll celebrate your successes with you, but we’ll always have the courage to tell you the truth about your money.

 

Contact us today on 0113 262 1242 or book here to arrange an initial call. We can chat about where you are, where you want to be and how we can help you to make it happen.