Well, all the studying has paid off and I am now a “Registered Retirement Counselor”. In other words, I passed the exam, and have learned a great deal more that I can use to better the lives of new and existing clients. It was tough slugging, but worth the effort.
2012 is a year to get your ducks in a row, whether you are about to retire or have just retired. We are not through these difficult economic and volatile times. Retirement for many seems far away, and not by their choice. As retirement programs offered by Employers are scaled back, and Government faces the challenge of funding the CPP, OAS and health care, it is time to think differently and to accept a new reality. Few people today are willing to reach out for the necessary skill offered by a trained and objective professional, in order to manage their affairs in retirement. I will suggest there are no other alternatives if your money is going to last, and if you are going to enjoy some lifestyle as you transition into “retirement”.
That’s where I can help. Let me describe what I do and do not do. First of all, I do not manage your assets in my role as your counsellor. Nor do I sell any products – none! I am a paid consultant, and will guide you into retirement by managing your expectations as to what is possible, and how best to control your cash flow, both at the beginning middle and end stages of retirement. The approach involves some very practical discussions with you about your wants and your needs. I gather all of your information, give you realistic projections and show you how to be as efficient as possible in terms of the order of your withdrawals. Much of the technique is tax focused. If you can reduce this number it stands to reason there will be more left in your pocket each year.
We will look closely at your spending patterns and how it may be improved, by forecasting and planning ahead.
Lastly, I stay with you as your Captain for as long as you need me. My purpose is to set you to sail your own ship after the first year by giving you all the tools and knowledge that you may require, to continue the course.
Retirement counselling is not complete without attention to your estate. It is difficult to “die broke”, and so it will be part of our process to maximize what is left behind without compromising your lifestyle, and most importantly for you to have happen on death, what you want to have happen.
Please call me – the first meeting is at no cost so that we can identify if what I do will be of value to you.
Oscar Wilde once said “Experience is one thing, you can not get for nothing”. True words, and so very appropriate in this era of uncertainty.