Use these tips to ensure you can make your retirement dreams a reality.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Wednesday, 24 March 2021
The following article is based on content in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
If you’re like most people, you have a pretty good idea of what your dream retirement looks like; where you’ll live, how you’ll spend your time, which hobbies you’ll cultivate. However, visualizing your ideal retirement lifestyle isn’t the same as preparing your retirement finances to make that dream a reality.
Even if you’ve been disciplined about saving for retirement, it’s common to harbor worries about running out of money. In fact, it is the number one retirement concern. This uncertainty can be even more stressful if you don’t have a solid idea of how much retirement savings you truly need. If you would like clarity and more peace of mind, use the eight steps below to get your finances in order and create a successful and fruitful retirement plan.
Use These Tips to Consider When it May Be Appropriate for You to Retire
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 14 December 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
Retirement is an exciting topic, but it can also be fraught with uncertainty, given the fact that many people will face a long retirement period of thirty years or more. When is the right moment to retire? What is the best retirement timeline for you? Unfortunately, there are no simple answers to these questions.
While many factors need to come together to make a cohesive and sustainable long-term plan, the biggest concern most people face is the fear of making financial decisions based on emotion. Here are some tips for decreasing retirement anxiety and increasing clarity on the road to sound retirement planning, including answering that very important question of “when.”
How Forethought and Planning Can Give You the Retirement of Your Dreams
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 09 November 2020
The following article is based on the content covered in my book, Flourish Financially: Values, Transitions, and Big Conversations. If you’d like to read more, you may purchase a copy here.
The great retirement paradox is that there is so much time, and yet so very little of it. Yes, we are living longer, healthier lives, yet at some point, it will come to an end. So, what do we do with this new chapter of life that may last another twenty or thirty years? While that thirty-year horizon is full of possibilities, it can also be daunting and full of questions: Did I save enough? How will I spend my time? Where will I live? What kind of legacy will I leave?
Answering these questions will help you begin to identify your ideal retirement lifestyle and shed light on what steps you need to take to build it.
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Thursday, 16 July 2020
News From Flourish
The first six months of 2020 have been some of the most challenging in my career. Unfortunately, there are no promises that the second half will be any better as we continue to battle a global pandemic while preparing for a contentious US Presidential Election. However, the challenges have also provided time for reflection, perseverance and creativity in problem-solving as our team works together to adjust, adapt and change in the face of adversity and uncertainty.
No matter what stage of life you are in, now is the time for strong communication and mutual respect in your relationship
By Kathy Longo, CFP®, CAP®, CDFA
Monday, 29 June 2020
Disasters often strike with little notice. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria surprised us with their ferocity in 2017, the Equifax security breach caught us by surprise that same year, and so it has been with the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some public health experts had coronavirus on their radar for some time, the general public was caught largely unaware as this worldwide health crisis forced us to abandon our usual way of life. While these three forms of disaster may seem to have little in common, they have all left financial devastation in their wakes, and they all represent periods of great transition for many people.
Right now, people around the globe are facing anxiety about the future, uncertain job situations, loss of income, health concerns, illness and loss, and lives put on hold. The news media reminds us of the major impacts of the coronavirus – nearly ten million confirmed cases worldwide, more than 20 million jobs lost in the United States alone – but there are a great many other consequences of this pandemic that aren’t making the headlines. Our relationships with one another are changing inside homes and within communities. Times of transition are often marked by confusion and feelings of uncertainty, but these difficulties are compounded when our loved ones are experiencing life transitions at the same time. This is particularly true with regard to our spouse or partner. When left untended, these relationships can become strained even in the best of times, let alone during a global health and financial crisis. Below, I will discuss several strategies for successfully moving through a period of transition while supporting and strengthening your relationship at the same time.
