How to make your money last as long as you do is the biggest question in retirement planning. And now that people are living longer lives your money has to stretch farther than ever before. Today’s retirement is a brave new world and the problems you will encounter haven’t been experienced by any previous generation. Are you ready to learn what you can do to make your money last as long as you? Check out this episode of Retirement Answer Man as we dive into this important question.

Is there a right way to retire?

Do you think there is a right way to retire? Do you think that there is a secret formula waiting for you? The truth is that nobody has the recipe for the secret retirement sauce. That’s because no one has done it before. You’ll live longer than ever, you’ll live more years in retirement, you’ll be more active, you’ll spend more, and you probably don’t have a pension. This is all still so new to all of us. So don’t be fooled by someone who thinks they have all the answers, because they don’t. This should challenge you to make small smart decisions since there is no big “right decision.”

How to make your money last

As you now know, there is no perfect model for making your money last. The most important thing to consider is to be agile in your decision making to keep many options open. Since there is no clear path ahead, you just have to stay agile. It's better to acknowledge that and to build a framework that allows you to make lots of little decisions correctly. That way you can react to opportunities and risks quickly as life unfolds.

Key areas to be intentional about in retirement planning

When you are thinking about how to make your money last in retirement there are some key factors that you can consider.

Your lifestyle choices. These have a huge impact on the longevity of your money. You can examine what is a need vs. want? Think about your discretionary and non-discretionary expenses. How you define these terms is important. Lifestyle choices are critical to making money last.
Social capital. Social capital includes social security and annuities. Annuities can guarantee payment to you for the rest of your life. We’ll dive more into annuities in July so be sure to listen to episodes 280-283 when they come out.
Human capital. Your human capital is you. I call this pretirement. Most people who retire really want more time freedom to pursue things they enjoy rather than simply not working. Every year that you continue to work it not only gives you some money, it also gives you socialization, purpose, and fulfillment. The longer you work the longer it takes for you to tap into your financial assets
Turn your use assets into productive assets. Use assets are assets that don’t produce anything for us. They give us enjoyment instead. Your home, car, boat, and collectibles are examples of use assets. You reversible mortgage.

Agile retirement planning helps you keep your options open

Agile retirement planning is all about keeping your options open. You want to have the ability to reevaluate everything as life unfolds. Create a stress test and make small changes along the way. Find risks and opportunities to improve your plan. A bit of intentional action will take you a long way. Check out my book to learn more about agile retirement planning. If you read it and leave an honest review on Amazon I’ll even send you a signed copy!