Herald - Issue 424

Page 64 • The HERALD • 2nd June 2022 v THE HERALD - Proud to be part of your community v ASK A PROFESSIONAL RETIRE AT 65? SAYS WHO? by Michael Osman, Oyster Financial Planning It’s long been the thinking that we work throughout our lives to then hopefully make enough money to allow us to stop work and ‘enjoy’ our retirement at 65? What is retirement to you? A long relaxing holiday with no work to get in the way? An opportunity to get the golf handicap down? Sort the house and garden out? Travel the world? Endless time with the grand-kids? ese are probably the stereotypical viewpoints. All sound perfectly agreeable don’t they? If you were making a living in a manner you didn’t enjoy and reached around the age of 65 and you had accumulated what you thought was enough money to ‘enjoy’ your long holiday. Why wouldn’t you do it? What if you were very happy with the living that you were making and very happy with how you were doing it? If this was the case why would you want to stop at 65 just because it’s the general thinking certainly over the last few generations that this is the age when you should step o the work train and relax? I have seen many clients retire and indulge themselves in some of the retirement activities above. I guess if you could look at your life now and see how you ll your days typically how much of those ‘things’ would you want to carry on in later life. Maybe if you enjoy how you make your LIVING, you may not want to stop at 65 and you want to carry on making a LIFE instead of just stopping because that’s what a think tank thought was appropriate 60 odd years ago. Doing what you love, maybe just doing less of it could keep you vibrant, alive and ful lled. Worth a thought isn’t it! Michael Osman, Oyster Financial Planning If you wish to discuss any aspect of nancial planning please do get in touch with Oyster Financial Planning in the centre of Hythe Village!