Retirement - All It's Cracked Up To Be?
As Financial Planners you are constantly talking to clients about retirement. It is front and centre of the financial services profession.
Frankly, my aspiration, however realistic or otherwise, has been to retire as early as possible and spend my days walking the coast path, surfing and sea fishing (post clichéd relocation to Cornwall, obviously).
I have always looked at the FIRE movement with admiration. Why wouldn't you want to spend a greater proportion of your life doing the things you are truly passionate about, free from the shackles of work.
The death of my mum two years ago, just a few years after she finally retired, bought this into sharper focus.
I have enough hobbies to keep me busy I thought - I would never be one of those people who struggles with retirement.
However a couple of things have made me question whether it is the eutopia I have always seen it as.
The first was three days that I had off pre-Christmas where frankly I felt a bit lost. Without purpose. Wasn't helped by the fact that my wife, friends and family were all still at work, but it really got me thinking - are we designed, or perhaps conditioned, to work?
The second is recently seeing a number of former advisers, who have sold their businesses and obviously done fairly well for themselves, looking to return to the industry in some form or another. I doubt it is out of financial necessity - so has retirement simply not lived up to their expectations?
It would be great to hear the thoughts of those who have retired 'early', struggled with it and returned to work, or advisers who have seen the same with clients.
Is it all down to some strange form of Stockholm Syndrome?
