One of your biggest fears of retirement may not be giving up the hustle and bustle of the working world but remaining socially connected. After all, with your coworkers, you have likely made some close personal friendships. You likely treasure them and consider them as closer (if not closer) than your family members and other friends outside the work force.
Well, we’re here to tell you that you don’t need to feel this way. You can still maintain these friendships and develop new friendships as well. You can stay socially connected during retirement and don’t have to alienate yourself. To do so, you simply have to be willing to put forth the effort. In this article, we’ll discuss 10 proven ways to stay connected during retirement.
• Stay in touch with ex-colleagues – There’s no getting around it, your coworkers are important to you and therefore you should stay connected to them. Make sure that you contact them by phone or meet your friends for lunch dates. Not only will this keep your connection strong but it will also ensure that you remain up to date on past work happenings and keep your friends from work.
• Create meaningful relationships – Besides ex colleagues, now is the time to create new meaningful relationships. To do this, you should connect with family, friends and neighbors too. Perhaps you can engage in after-retirement activities that will enable you to improve these relationships.
• Foster relationship with your spouse – Now that you’re retired, you should have more time to spend with your spouse. Take some time to get romantic with them. See if the two of you can re-spark a flame or perhaps develop mutual interests.
• Build a strong social network – This can be accomplished by volunteering at your favorite non profit organization, enrolling in a class, or joining a group.
• Join clubs – You can connect with like-minded people by joining a club or a social group. Just make sure that it is an actitivy that you would enjoy and will get excited about.
• Participate in community service – You can remain connected to people of various dimensions by assisting with some community service projects. For instance, perhaps you can arrange to clean up the parks on Earth Day or participate in the Why Me Cancer Walk.
• Participate in volunteer work – Join a worthy cause to be in touch with people. Try to help the deprived and lesser privileged. Alternatively, you can spread awareness about the burning issues that concern people around you. It will be an enriching experience for you too.
• Explore a hobby – In exploring this hobby, join a group of people who also have this interest such as a knitting club or ski club. This will increase your interaction with people with similar interests.
• Re-educate yourself – Participate in classes that you can learn something new with other people. Make sure that you keep a positive and friendly attitude and you’ll meet new people all the time.
• Connect with family– This is a wonderful way to remain connected with your children, and your grand children, with whom you may not have fostered a close relationship during your working life. You can’t start any sooner, so cease the moment right now and you’ll be happy that you took the time.
In conclusion, you can remain connected during retirement. You simply have to be willing to connect with family, re-educate yourself, join a hobby, participate in community service activities, volunteer, join clubs, build a new network, stay in touch with ex-colleagues, foster relationships with your spouse, connect with family, and create meaningful relationships.
10 Ways To Remain Connected During Retirement
10 Ways To Transition Yourself Into Retirement
Let’s be completely honest. Everyone has their own dreams and expectations about retirement. Upon retirement, some folks plan to travel around the world while others simply plan to take excursions to their local beach. Whatever the retirement plan that you may have, being able to implement your goals takes a certain degree of financial security. The problem however is that financial security does not just happen but requires careful planning, commitment and yes, money.
To be a successful retiree, you must successfully transition yourself into retirement in order to meet your retirement objectives. In addition, you have to plan the amount of money you need and what you want to accomplish with your savings. After all, you’ll likely spend 35+ years in retirement so you must start planning now. In this article, we will discuss 10 ways that you can successfully transition yourself into retirement. They are as follows:
1. Debt Reduction - Make sure that you do not carry your debts into retirement. Therefore, commit yourself to paying off as much of your debts as you possibly can. Eliminate car payments, credit card debts, personal loans, etc. Do what you have to do now to squash debt and make sure that you don’t obtain any new debts either.
2. Have a Nest Egg of Emergency Funds - Have enough liquid funds in hand to cover at least a few months of expenses, without eating into your investments. Be prepared for the unexpected expenses while you transition into retirement. After all, emergencies will certainly come up but if you have a certain amount of savings, you won’t have to worry about them.
3. Adequate Insurance Coverage - Make sure that you have adequate insurance to cover your life, health, homeowners', and auto insurance policies. Reassess your insurance needs on a yearly basis to ensure that they suit your retirement needs. Be open to making changes as needed and check out your employer’s retirement coverage. Many of folks have been unpleasantly surprised to learn that their employers will no longer cover their medical expenses after they retire. So, if you find out now, you can take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family.
4. Retirement Income Plan - To ensure that you don’t outlive your assets, develop a retirement income plan that includes your income and expenses. Keep track of your current expenses and cut back as needed.
5. Social Security Benefits - The rules for benefits are rather complex, so talk to a Social Security representative a year before you plan to retire. By doing this, you’ll be able to understand your benefits and how much you’re covered. In addition, you should apply for social security three months before you want to start collecting your benefits or three months before your 65th birthday.
6. Contribute to a Savings Plan - If your employer offers a tax-sheltered savings plan (such as a 401K), make sure that you contribute as much as you can. Not only will this substantially lower your taxes but will also make huge difference in your financial security due to the magic of compounded interest.
7. Review Wills and Trusts - Make sure that you have a valid will and/or trust. Not only will this protect your assets but will give you peace of mind.
8. Invest in IRA - By putting money in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), you’ll cleverly delay paying taxes on investment earnings. If you invest $2,000 in IRA at 4% when you are 30, it will grow to $112,170 by the time you are 60. Now that’s a lot of moola for simply being smart!
9. Follow Basic Investment Principles - Just remember that how much you have for retirement depends on the type of investments you make now. Learn how to multiply your savings using mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc. Consult a financial advisor for additional information.
10. Know About Medicare - Find out when it is appropriate to apply for Medicare and then apply. The Medicare application process and premiums may vary, depending on your age and whether or not you are receiving Social Security by being aware of the type of Medicare you may qualify, you’ll be ahead of the game. For instance, the two parts of Medicare are:
- Hospital insurance, which generally you do not pay. It helps to pay for hospital, hospice, and home health care.
- Medical insurance, which you pay. It helps pay for doctors, outpatient care, and other medical services.
Follow our suggested ten steps and you’ll not only improve your mental health but you’ll also transition yourself into a happy and financially secure retirement.