Is Retirement the Right Option For You?

One can't keep working forever. How do you decide when is the right time?

It seems that our culture sees retirement as a fact of life; it is something that people are expected to do as they advance in age. For many, however, as they get on in age, they don’t know if retirement is right for them. You probably are one of these people who don’t know if they are ready for retirement now, and you may be wondering if you ever want to retire.

As you continue with your retirement planning and deciding if you are ready to retire, there are many things to take into consideration. The following are just some factors you should think about as you determine if retirement is for you.

DO YOU LOVE YOUR WORK?

Hopefully, you enjoy your job, but is your work your passion? If you absolutely love your job, you may not want to retire quite yet. If you enjoy every day at work, you might pine for your job if you attempt to retire now. Cutting down may be an option if you want to have more free time or want to slow down.

HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR RETIREMENT FUND?

Saving money is a major component of retirement planning. When you are retired, you may have income from pensions and other sources, but for most people, this income is considerably less than what they were earning in their previous role. For these people, they will have a notable decline in their standard of living if they retire with no savings.

If you have lots of savings or a considerable pension, retiring if you feel ready may be a good option. On the other hand, if you don’t have substantial savings, you may be wise to wait. If you retire without enough savings, you might find yourself looking for work shortly after your retirement starts.

IS THE TIMING RIGHT?

At certain ages, certain benefits become available to you from the government, pensions, retirement funds, and other sources. If you wait to retire until funds from these sources are available, you may find your life a bit more comfortable once you stop working. If you are only a few years or months from some of these funds being available to you, it may be worth your while to work a bit longer so that you can receive full benefits.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

While many folks retire because they want to have some rest and relaxation late in life, others retire because of their health. This means that you may want to retire sooner than later if you are in poor health or at high risk for developing a condition. If you are already sick, you probably want to spend the time you have left enjoying your life instead of toiling away.

Retirement can do wonders for your health. If your work is stressful or intensive, retirement and the relaxation it brings could help to prolong your life. Even if you love your work, retirement lets you have more time off for leisure time or for making appointments with a physician when you aren’t feeling quite well.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

When you think of the rest of your life, what would you like to do? If you don’t have any particular aspirations, you might want to keep working. However, you may have other ideas and aspirations, and this may signal retirement time.

It may well be time to retire if your retirement planning includes a clear vision of what you want to do with your time. If you yearn to spend more time with your family, have a hankering for travel, or have a strong desire to spend your days doing something other than work, it seems that it’s time to quit.

ARE YOU READY?

Retirement planning is important; almost everyone has to retire at some point and time. It just may not be your time yet. These were just a few factors to consider as you decide whether or not it is time to stop working. As you make this important life choice, weigh these and other factors; have some serious conversations with your family members about what they want too. Retirement is a big change and a big choice; be sure that you think through this choice thoroughly and discuss it with your loved ones before you retire.