Ready or not, here it comes: A look at all things retirement
I’m guessing a fairly small percentage of us were wise enough to begin saving for “The Golden Years” in our 20s. When you’re that age, the idea of retirement seems like a far-off dream. It’s just something the older generations talk about.
Then, sometime during our 30s and 40s, the light bulb comes on. Maybe we don’t want to work every day of our lives.
Maybe the mental picture of days spent on the golf course rather than the conference room comes into focus a bit more. Or taking a leisurely, year-long trek across the country in an RV. Or just having a daily to-do list of “whatever I want.”
By our 50s, the word “retirement” definitely has a nice ring to it. Practically luxurious. What, exactly, had we been thinking — or not thinking — so many years ago?
As we age, life gets more complicated. We have family members to worry about, and health care costs. And the cost of living only goes in one direction — up.
Pensions are essentially a thing of the past, with the burden to save now on the individual. And Social Security could be gone soon, too.
So, how do we know when we’ve saved enough to retire? Making smart retirement decisions is a point of concern for most everybody.
In our article Know Your Numbers, we talked to a couple local advisors to find out. That story begins on page 52.
Also this month, we interviewed several business leaders who never really thought about retiring. They’re so passionate about their work, they decided to keep going full steam ahead.
What is it that keeps them fueled and involved? How are they preparing the next generation to lead? They answered those questions and more in Staying Power, beginning on page 39.
And last but not least, we explore the factors that continue to draw retirees to Chattanooga. From abundant outdoor beauty, to a more affordable cost of living compared to other cities, Chattanooga checks a lot of boxes for a lot of people. Read more about that beginning on page 48.
Ideally, retirement should be a time of relaxation and reward for a lifetime of work. It’s just the getting there that can be challenging.
As we continue to onboard the next generations of workers, let’s encourage them to start saving early so their retirement years can be more pleasure, and less panic.
Because, whether they realize it or not, time flies — and it’ll be here before they know it.