Finishing your
career strong
Set up yourself, your family,
and your community for success.
Taking your finances to the next level
You’re on the home stretch of your career. After a lifetime of hard work, it’s almost time to reap the fruits of your harvest. However, you have to do it right.
That means getting your finances in order, making sure your loved ones are well taken care of, and thinking about how you can give back to the community. It’s a time of self-reflection and goal-setting.
But the prospect of retirement can also be intimidating. You might be worried that you won’t have enough to take care of yourself or your family. Fear not, if you make some smart financial decisions now, you’ll be able to enjoy your golden years worry-free, knowing that you walked out of the working world, in the best way possible.
Getting your portfolio in line for retirement
This is the point in your life when you have the most disposable income you will ever have. So why not try to make it go as far as possible?
If you don’t have a financial advisor, your best bet is to get one. Don’t risk all your hard-earned dollars on a long-shot. Talk to someone who can help you mitigate risk, while still helping you reach your financial goal.
But, as this is your future, you should know what you’re doing. Educate yourself, so you can better understand and work with your financial advisor. Together, you can set up a safe, comfortable retirement.
Eliminating your debt
Retirement was made for a lot of things (traveling, rest, reading), but one of them wasn’t paying debt. Debt is something to get rid of now, so you can embody every bit of a “no worries” philosophy, when you cash that last pay cheque.
If you haven’t consolidated your remaining debt, you should. Not only does it make paying your combined debt easier to manage, it can make it more affordable. More importantly, you should make it a priority to pay off as much debt as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s your mortgage, your car, or your education; retirement and debt do not go well together.
In short, make a great effort to eliminate your debt. Then, you will know true financial freedom.
Estates and Gifting
It will bring you great peace to know that, after you’ve passed on, your loved ones will be taken care of by the wisdom, love, and money you have left them. The first two are no problem, but for the third, you will want to get your estate in order.
If you don’t have a will, find a lawyer and do it right. You don’t want ambiguity in your will to be the reason your family argues, after you’re gone. If you already have a will, but you haven’t touched it in a while, it’s time for an update. Maybe you’ve purchased a car or another property since then. Maybe your daughter has had a daughter of her own, and you want to leave her something also. Don’t leave any surprises; just leave happy memories and security.
One way to ensure your beneficiaries have immediate access to your funds, without the need for your will to be probated, is to add them as a joint account holder. If this makes you feel a little uneasy, don’t worry, there are a variety of ways this can be done. You may choose to:
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protect your own interest, and give your beneficiaries access only after your passing;
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give your beneficiary(ies) equal right to the account now; or
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put instructions on your account that your intended beneficiaries must ALL sign TOGETHER in order for their instructions to be taken. This is can be a real life-saver if you are ill and unable to sign.
There are also several other options in between.
Adding someone to your account and be a wise move; but it can also make you feel vulnerable. Please share your needs for adding joint account holders as well as any concerns you have about doing so with our financial advisors. We can guide you on the best option for you so you feel and know you are still secure.
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