Retire With Money AND a Life
by Stephen B. Carkeek

We all think about what life will be like someday when we retire. If you're young, that thought may be way in the back of your mind. If you are over 50, worrying about how you are going to retire may be becoming a full-time task.

One hundred years ago there was no such thing as retirement. You worked until you died, end of story. One of the great advancements in America and other leading countries is we
developed the expectation that all of us would live out our golden years without having to work for a pay check.

The cold hard figures show a different story. Most people never achieve the retirement they dream of. One out of four Americans has to work until they die just to put food on the table.

Rather than worry about how things will be in retirement, start planning now. Like anything else in life, a little planning can go a long way in helping you get where you want to be.

Don't leave retirement up to chance. Qualified retirement counselors can sit down and help you find out just how much you need to save, how to invest, how much money the retirement you want will require, and what changes you need to make in your preparation and expectations.

In many cases, people learn they really can have a well-funded retirement by using smart financial management techniques.

But money isn't the whole story. There are plenty of people who amass a nice nest egg only to wind up sick and disabled in their senior years. They have the money, but they don't have their health or mobility.

If you don't have an exercise program, start one now. It can be as simple as parking further from work and walking briskly to get there in time. The key is to get your heart rate up and breathe deeply. Recent studies show people who have good lungs live the
longest.

Just as important, exercise your mind. Learn something new. Take up an entirely new hobby. Studies reveal teachers who learn all their lives suddenly stop learning when they retire. On average, a teacher lives just 18 months past retirement. Learning is essential to life.

Finally, build a network of friends outside work. When you retire, few things will be as important to your enjoyment of life as solid friends you can count on for companionship and help when assistance is needed.

Interested in improving your retirement? Please click here to find out what to do next.