Victory Lap Retirement

Book excerpt: The key to a happy retirement may be . . . not retiring. Work because you want to, not because you have to, to achieve balance, health, and purpose in your life after full-time employment. Retirees are living longer than ever before and many will have to finance as many years in retirement as they had in their entire working career. So now, the old idea of full-stop retirement - going from 100 per cent work mode to 100 per cent leisure mode - is neither sustainable nor desirable. Besides, many studies have shown that those who stay engaged, challenged, and stimulated stay healthier and live longer. Continuing to work to some degree after you have left your full-time career can actually improve your health and increase your lifespan. The key is to work because you want to and not because you have to. Instead of continuing to run the organizational rat race or being stuck on the treadmill of life, you can learn how to break through the finish line of financial independence and plan your own Victory Lap, a blend between work and play that each person intentionally designs for themselves. This book explains the concept of Victory Lap Retirement, outlines the benefits, and shows you how to plan for your own unique Victory Lap - the post-employment lifestyle that's right for you - allowing you to live life to the fullest, on your terms, while you are young enough to enjoy it. The second edition contains new information on decumulation, strategies retirees can use to safely draw down their assets to help finance their Victory Lap, as well as many additional examples. "This wise book rests on some important truths: We all crave lives of meaning, we want to continue to grow and learn throughout our years, and financial well-being is central to our health and happiness. Victory Lap Retirement is a how-to guide for making all of those goals come together into a truly modern retirement plan." Christine Benz, Director of Personal Finance and Senior Columnist, Morningstar, Inc. "[The authors] say the full-stop retirement doesn't work anymore, and I agree. Start planning your Victory Lap." - Rob Carrick, Personal Finance Columnist, The Globe and Mail "I've long believed that the idea of retiring at sixty-five is as outdated as the horse and buggy. You could live another thirty years or more. What are you going to do with that time? This book can help you find the answers." - Gordon Pape, Bestselling Author and Publisher of The Internet Wealth Builder and The Income Investor "Victory Lap Retirement provides a great model for finding the right balance between today and tomorrow, work and play, family and self, financial independence and fun. It's a brilliant roadmap for being deliberate about your priorities and to avoid ending up just being a cog in the wheel of life. The authors masterfully leverage their personal experience and the lessons learned from working with thousands of clients, bucking the tired old model of retirement and instead offering readers a detailed roadmap to deliberately create a far more meaningful, interesting, and fulfilling second half of life." - Brent Brodeski, CEO, Savant Capital Management "The authors reframe the idea of retirement as a smart twist on an age-old dilemma. The science of well-being later in life tells us we need to have a purpose - why not make a few bucks while you're at it? This book will open your mind to what your Victory Lap might be if the thought of doing nothing at some point is foreign to you." - Larry Berman, Host of BNN Bloomberg's Berman's Call, and Chief Investment Officer, ETF Capital Management