Preparing the Ideal Retirement Part 2

When preparing for your ideal retirement, ask yourself the questions where are you going to retire? and what are you going to do when you retire?

Where Will You Retire?

According to the AARP, most retirees stay put. At least, they do right after they retire. Your home may be your largest asset, and with the favorable tax-law changes, you may wish to sell it and downsize. This would give you cash available for your retirement planning.

You may decide that the winters in the north are too harsh and seek a warmer climate for at least part of the year. If you're planning any major moves, test the waters. If you think Arizona is the place to live and have visited there in the winters. try a month in the summer before you pack it up and move.

Don't discount your support system of family and friends where you live now. They may be hard to replace in a new environment --- especially the grandkids! Studies have shown that retirees who are coupled and move do very well until the death of the first spouse. Then the other may move back home to be near family.

Check out the health systems wherever you are thinking of moving. How far away are doctors and hospitals? As we age, these become more important to us. Check out the recreational facilities, the shopping, and the traffic. How do you plan to spend your time in retirement? Does the new area you are considering have enough activities available of you? If your family is far away, how easy is it for you to get to an airport?

What Will You Do When You Retire?

If you don't know, you are not ready to retire. What have you dreamed about? Just leaving your job get away from it all is not enough. Do you have enough money for retirement, or are you going to need to look for part-time work? Do you have hobbies and sports that you are passionate about? Travel s wonderful, but most of us can't afford to be traveling all the time.

What is it that will make you want to get up it this morning and start they day? As human beings, two of the things that motivate us are our need to be needed and our need to be productive. Volunteering is a great way to fulfill these needs. Libraries, museums, churches, schools, and hospitals all need volunteers and offer flexible schedules to accommodate you.

More and more schools are offering discounts for seniors, and some schools offer free classes. Retirement for some seniors is a time to try a second career. Going back to school for a computer refresher course any be just thing you need to get you started.