Retirement Insights

 “I wish that I had let myself be happier” is one of the regrets reported by Bonnie Ware in serving patients near the end of their lives.  She goes on to say that “Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice.” Here is my question. Is this true from a Christian perspective?  Can we choose happiness? I have been thinking about this, and here are some scriptures that have come to mind. “I have set the Lord always before me;  because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices.” Psalm 16: 7-8 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1 “In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” 2 Corinthians 7:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Phil 4:4 These scriptures come in the form of commands and mechanisms to accomplish gladness or rejoicing by keepi...

Perhaps one of the biggest fears as we age is the diminishment of our memory and cognitive abilities.  Wanting to learn more about this process led me to read Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta M.D. The author’s theme is that “The brain can be continuously and consistently enriched throughout your life no matter your age or access to resources.” He highlights that there is good scientific evidence that focusing on what he calls the five pillars of brain health can strengthen our cognitive function. These pillars include Move, Discover, Relax, Nourish and Connect. Here is a brief overview of what he shared in each of these areas. 1.        Move: Not surprisingly, perhaps the most impactful pillar is exercise. The author notes that “Exercise can act as a ‘first aid kit’ for damaged brain cells.”   Even low-intensity activity like regular walking has shown positive brain outcomes. 2.      ...

Recently I have been listening to some Webinars about retirement, which are sponsored by my financial advisor’s company. One of the most interesting to me was managing risk relative to your financial plan for retirement. I thought I would share some thoughts from this webinar with you, which you might find helpful. As a believer, this subject of planning, especially financial planning, immediately returns us to the issue of the Sovereignty of God vs. man’s responsibility. Do I really need to plan? Why not just pray and trust God. “Let go and let God?” God is Sovereign, and He establishes all of my steps. A brief visit to Proverbs convinces me that God expects us to plan and endorses prayerfully considered plans. Prov 16:9 – “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (see also Prov 16:3, 20:18, 21:5). I do not believe that a philosophy of “let go and let God” honors Him. So let us plan for retirement, and may our plans be bathed in prayer and made after seek...

In his book, Retirement Reformation , Bruce Bruinsma, poses a number of crucial questions to consider for retirement planning purposes. Here are some of them to think through.  What are you going to do?   Potentially you will have 10, 20, or even 30 years of retirement. Will you design a new lifestyle, establish a new routine, set new goals?  Where are you going to do it?   Many retirees downsize.  Others move closer to family. Some move to a retirement community. Some sell everything and travel in an RV or move to Mexico. Who are you going to do it with? You need other people in your life. The author maintains that "As we grow older, our world shrinks. Friends die, move away or become incapacitated.  Expanding our community, not shrinking it, is a priority for aging." How are you going to finance it? The author notes that "Surveys show that 75% of people in retirement age are anxious about money.  Some are anxious about not having enough.  Othe...

  The obvious: Pray/seek God's guidance.  While some Scripture passages speak well of old age, there is no retirement plan like one reads about in Kiplingers or Money magazine. King David died in a palace (but with a bit of strife within his family).  Moses died somewhere in Moab (not the Promised Land).  Mary (mother of Jesus) was given to the care of the disciple Jesus loved (probably John).  The Apostle John may have died in Patmos (maybe in a cave). Paul and Peter did not have a Kiplingers' retirement.  Enoch's last days sound a bit more appealing.  If you like hot rods or roller coasters - Elijah.  I suspect that, back in Biblical times, there were more conventional ways for people to live their senior years, and for most of us, our retirements will be reasonably traditional within our times.  But, with God, there's an element of faith. More secular thoughts: -           If possible, ...

One big question retirees face is should you remain in your current home. Options include downsizing or moving to a different part of the the country or world to save money or be closer to family and friends. Here are some questions to consider in making a decision. 1.     Is there a good church at your new location? Theologically aligned? 2.     Consider the financial implications 1.     real estate and closing costs, both locations 2.     is comparable real estate really cheaper? 3.     understand the real cost of living at your new location (income tax, property/real estate taxes, etc.) 4.     moving costs 5.     tax implications if don’t reinvest the entire equity of existing home 3.     Loss of relationships at the existing location - count the costs 4.     How readily do you make friends (at the new location) and build relationships...