Who are we planning for? It’s a tougher question that you might think.
We will be expanding our planning with you in 2016, as we look to dig a bit deeper and also to go “Up, Down and Sideways”. This means expanding your plan to include other people and responsibilities that we may not have considered:
- “Up” means considering the how we are involved in the care of aging parents and extended family members
- “Down” means appreciating how you may be financially responsible for children and grandchildren as they find their feet or return home
- “Sideways” means understanding how your friends play a role in your retirement plan. No one wants to retire alone. If your friends are not planning for their future as well as you are, then that’s a problem we want to see coming. You have three choices if they have a poor plan: either show them how we can help, pay for them to play with you – or find yourself new friends. I’ve already seen with some clients how this becomes one of the worst surprises in retirement. Let’s not take those friendships for granted. If you want your friends in your life, let’s work together to make sure you can always play together.