Today, I launched Optimum Retirement Planning LLC [ORP]. At ORP, I specialize in helping those close to or in retirement navigate the financial complexities of retirement. The retirement transition presents a lot of opportunities for a knowledgeable retirement planner to add immense financial value to clients. But that’s not why I work with retirees. I work with retirees because of my Dad.
In 2018 my Dad was 69 years old and in seemingly excellent health. He took superb care of himself, exercised every day, and ate all of the right foods. He routinely played 18 holes of golf 3 or 4 times a week, and avoided carts in favor of walking. His father had passed away when he was young from a heart attack, so my Dad was determined to keep himself in tip-top chape. My Dad assumed he had a long retirement ahead of himself after taking such good care of himself. Even though he could retire, he justified working a few extra years to “pad” the retirement fund.
Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out quite the way he anticipated. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away about 20 months later, a few months after his 70th birthday. He was still working at the time of the diagnosis. All of those future years of retirement, suddenly gone. He could’ve retired years ago, but never felt comfortable putting work aside. I think he was a little scared. Retirement is a big transition. He was in a job that he didn’t particularly enjoy either, but the money was good. If he had realized a couple years ago that he only had a few years left, he would have retired that day.
That’s the tough part, we never know how much time we have left. I understand what retirement truly represents – control over your time. Retirement can be a fantastic tool to help you optimize your most precious resource, time. Retirement doesn’t have to mean golfing or sitting on a beach, although those are nice too. Retirement is the ability to look at how you spend your days, which most of us primarily fill with work, and say,” I can change how I spend my time without worrying about the financial consequences.” Whether you do so is up to you, and that’s the beauty and challenge of retirement.
I feel a deep responsibility and sense of honor at being able to guide people through this critical time in their lives. While I’m passionate about optimizing the financial aspects of retirement, I relish the experience of letting someone know, “You don’t have to keep working if you don’t want too.”
At Optimum Retirement Planning LLC, I focus on helping people age 50+ retire and stay retired. I primarily help answer these questions for people:
- When can you retire, and how much can you spend in retirement without running out of money?
- How can I lower my taxes?
- When should I begin taking my Social Security benefits?
- How can I enhance my retirement income?
If you or someone you know has questions about retirement, let me know, I would be happy to help.
Spend your time wisely.
-Larry
