I am a recently retired general surgeon [40 years] and live inbeautiful colorado springs, colorado.
One of the major goals in planning your reitrement is to have enough income so that you don't outlive your retirement income. However, it makes no sense to literally kill yourself during your working years so that you end up with compromised health in reitrement. Or perhaps your have spent all of your time working and not developing outside intierests from work so that you reach reitrement very discontent and bored with a very narrowly based future. Many never learn that no matter how much money you have it will not buy excellent health, great friends or the interest in enjoying leisurely activities.
There have been many studies that show that retirees need only 40 to 60 percent of their preretirement income to live comfortably in reitrement. In other words a retiree with a preretirement income of $75,000 will need only 45 percent of that income to be comfortable. There are many reasons why the financial requirements are less in reitrement. One is that most retirees have their mortages paid off and thus no longer have the responsibility of a monthly mortgage. Their children's educational expenses are over and they no longer have to set aside money for their retirement. They also can take advantage of senior discounts and because their inome is in a lower income bracket , their taxes are lower.
The irony of this information is that many retirees even with a lower income will find that they have more discretionary money to spend as the demands on their money have decreased. They will find that they will be able to live in a better lifestyle than they were in their working years.
Everyone's financial needs are different, but most of us will find that we can live happy successful retirement lives on less than we anticipated. Of course, if you are an individual that has to have the latest in fashions, a new expensive car each year and stay at expensive resorts, you may never have enough money to retire. If you are one of these indidviduas, you will probaly never find happiness in retirement, as you will find that you will always have an emotional and spiritual need that no matter how much money you have you will never be content.
To achieve a successful retirement, look to achieve not only adequate financial resources, but more importantly mental physical and spiritual health through your friends, family and creative pursuits.
http://www.sites.google.com/site/astewart37
Why do we use this expression? What is the reason the"right side" of the ship is called "starboard"? In old English the word steor-bord meant the steering side of a ship. Early sailing ships had the steering oar placed on the right side of the ship. Today the old word stoer=bord has been replaced by starboard.
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