Brilliant Retirement

Book excerpt: Retirement is a time ripe with exciting possibilities that offer fresh choices and the opportunity for a brand new start. Expectations are high now that you have the time and the resource to finally fulfil some long-held wishes and you can now start living the kind of life you’ve always dreamed of. But retirement is also a time of huge adjustment, both financially and emotionally. All those supposedly life-changing opportunities and choices can, in reality, seem confusing and overwhelming; you’ve lost your previous professional identity and the prospect of those long, empty days can appear daunting, dull and depressing. So how do you make sure that your retirement turns out to be everything you’ve always hoped it would be? Brilliant Retirement will help you weigh-up and clearly think through all the opportunities and possibilities that retirement is likely to present and will show you how to plan and prepare so you can approach and live out your retirement with confidence. Deciding when to retire is the first step and these days the choices available are more diverse than ever. Reduced hours, voluntary work, flexible working and career changes are just some of the alternatives to simply stopping work. But how do you choose which, and when, is right for you? Brilliant Retirement will explain all the options, helping you make reasoned and well-informed decisions. Financial concerns are a big consideration and often at the top of any retiree’s list. So Brilliant Retirement will help you assess your current and future financial position to make sure it is healthy and robust enough to cope with the likely demands of retirement. A fit mind and body are vital and this book offers a wealth of advice on remaining physically fit and mentally sharp so you can enjoy a long, happy and fulfilling retirement. How do you fill and make the most of all that extra time you’ll suddenly have? And how do you manage and adjust to the inevitable changes you will experience in your relationships? Brilliant Retirement will explain what may happen and why, it’ll describe the pitfalls to avoid and show you how to make some small changes that will ensure all remains fine on the home front. This book is the culmination of one retired man's mission to bring together everything he wishes he had known when he was retiring; all the information and advice he was unable find when he needed it most. The result is an enlightening, informative and practical combination of personal experiences and the latest research which will help you to make your retirement the best, most happy and most fulfilling time of your life.