Take these 10 steps now and you’ll be ready to roll into retirement As we run through our daily to-do lists — go to work, attend meetings, battle traffic, get home, spend time with the family, eat dinner, sleep, repeat — retirement might seem like a lifetime away. The clutter and work of the everyday often makes us forget that soon we’ll be quieting down, moving at a slower pace and enjoying all those things we’ve been working towards over the past decades. With that in mind, I have found it helpful to develop a to-do list for those planning to retire in the next five years. This to-do list doesn’t involve finishing up projects or returning phone calls. It’s designed to ensure that when you retire, you’ll see continued financial stability and success and never have to look back. Everyone’s list may look a little different, of course, but below are a few things that should get you moving in the right direction: 1. Pencil out your retirement budget and start adjusting your finances accordingly. When we daydream about our retirements, we like to think about breathtaking vacations and adventures we may not have had time for while working. But you need to take time to consider not only the fun expenses, but the monthly bills and day-to-day expenses you expect to face. To that end, make sure you have an accurate, up-to-date financial plan. Once you stop working, you’re going to have to adjust to a retirement budget that could be tighter than the one you live on now. This could mean a big financial adjustment requiring changes in your lifestyle and some critical money decisions. The sooner you start preparing for them, the better. 2. Determine...
