a time Bringing retirement dreams to reality
Retirement: what does the word conjure up in your mind? Is it –
…overseas travel?
…a few years as a grey nomad?
…visits to old haunts?
…beach-combing? fishing? hobbies?
It doesn’t hurt to dream about the prospects that retirement may offer (in fact it’s probably healthy to do so). This dreaming helps to form the goals and objectives on which to inform planning. Making the dreams realistic – and achievable – is where strategic planning for retirement comes to the fore!
Retirement dreams storylines
Some focused lifestyle and financial planning ahead of the retirement event is appropriate. This is particularly important if your retirement dreams are for a financially independent phase. Answers to questions including the following need to be –
- found,
- considered,
and worked into a viable retirement plan –
- How much will I need to fund retirement?
- How long will I be ‘retired’?
- Will my circumstances remain relatively unchanged?
- What will my annual lifestyle costs be?
- Can I stay in my current accommodation?
Key elements of your retirement plans then, are:
- Availability of funds;
- Disciplined budgeting; and
- Healthy lifestyle.
If your retirement dreams are based on the ‘usual’ pattern (i.e., after turning 65 years of age), you will probably be looking to put all available financial resources into superannuation accounts. These accounts are taxed favourably (concessionally) if contributions are made within prescribed ‘caps’ – and even more so when they finally convert into pension phase. Over the past several years, Continuum Financial Planners Pty Ltd has posted several articles providing information and tips about preparation for this important phase of your life: they include –
- Our Retirement Planning Strategies Services page;
- Planning Your Retirement – (March 2012, updated January 2025)
- Preparing for retirement – (September 2012; updated July 2024); and
- Funding Early Retirement – (February 2010; updated July 2024).
Your best interests are the cultural goal of the experienced team of financial advisers at Continuum Financial Planners Pty Ltd. When it comes to satisfying your needs for financial independence and optimum wealth management strategies –
‘we listen, we understand; and we have solutions’.
To make an appointment to review your preparation for retirement, contact us, by –
- phoning our office, on 07-3421 3456, or
- at your convenience use the linked Book A Meeting facility.
(This article was originally posted by us in November 2013. We occasionally refresh/ update it, most recently in June 2025.)