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Many seniors head into retirement dreaming about an "endless vacation."
But if you're retiring around age 65, you're hopefully looking at 20 or 30 years of retirement.
That's more than a vacation. It's an entire third act of your life.
And we all know that no matter how great a vacation is, when it's over, we're ready to go back home, back to our normal routines, back to our friends and family, back to ...
Work?
Let's discuss how redefining what work means in retirement can be more fulfilling than stopping work altogether.
As Life-Centered Financial Planners, we always want your finances to bring a smile to your face.
But for most seniors, it's your spending that's going to "smile" as you age through the Go-Go, the Slow-Go, and the No-Go years of retirement.
That's because spending, like life, doesn't progress in a straight line. At every stage of retirement, your needs are going to change, your goals are going to change, and your perspective on the future is going to change. It's important that you have a spending plan that's capable of supporting you today while also preserving your long-term financial security.
And it's also important that you avoid two potential pitfalls of the spending smile: spending too much too early in retirement or being too afraid to spend and really enjoy your retirement every step of the way.
Here's what to expect from the three stages of retirement and some tips on how to keep "smiling" across your whole Lifeline.
When parents begin teaching their children about money, they often focus on the mechanics. Counting coins and cash. Earning money through chores and part-time work. How to open accounts and what different accounts are for. The magic of compounding interest. Budgeting and saving for purchases.
But understanding how money works will only take your child so far. Kids also need to understand the correlation between the actions they take with money and resulting outcomes. They need to believe that they are in charge of their money, not the government, the markets, or turmoil on the other side of the world.
Here’s why self-efficacy should be a bigger part of your money conversations with your kids.
You have a first meeting with a new financial advisor, congrats! You’re taking an essential step in forging a path to financial confidence and clarity. But this is more than just a casual chat; it’s a critical conversation to determine if this professional is the right fit for you. You’ll need to equip yourself with the right questions, clarify your goals, and more.
What would it be like to be ultra-wealthy? Would it mean homes in Hawaii and Paris? Do you envision sailing a luxury yacht across the Mediterranean? What about chartering a trip to space? While it’s fun to imagine, this isn’t the reality for most of us.
You might have heard the term “Ultra High Net Worth” (UHNW) before. It’s a term for those who have north of $30 million in net worth. There are currently 142,990 UHNW individuals in North America1 out of 369 million in total2. That’s less than one-tenth of 1% (.03% to be exact).
There simply aren’t that many people flying private, sitting front row at sporting events, or buying private islands…contrary to what we see on TV or in social media. So why do we sometimes feel the desire for more, even though we’re doing just fine financially?
The mindset of accumulating wealth is deeply ingrained in most of our psyches. It’s important in the sense that we all have goals and want to retire comfortably, but it can be dangerous in its extremes. Let’s take a moment to understand some of the psychology behind why this happens:
Understanding your money values helps to ensure that your financial decisions align with what matters most to you and your family. These values serve as a foundation for making consistent, purpose-driven choices, while reducing financial stress and potential arguments.
For instance, prioritizing education might mean setting aside funds for college rather than opting for an extravagant vacation. It’s not that you wouldn’t vacation, family memories are important too, but opting for something in-state may align better with your family’s goals than taking three weeks in Bali.
Let’s get practical and discuss some steps to help arrive at meaningful goals as a family. We think you’ll find the exercise itself to be rewarding and insightful.
Retirement marks a new chapter, offering the perfect opportunity to explore passions that may have been set aside during earlier life stages. Engaging in the arts is more than just a way to fill your schedule–it provides a wide variety of benefits that are important as we age.
Creativity challenges the brain, enhancing memory and problem-solving abilities. It also provides an emotional outlet, helping to manage stress and create meaning. What’s more, art can open doors to the community. Joining a class or group connects you with other artists, fostering friendships and combating loneliness.
Whether you’re trying something new or rekindling a lost passion, the arts offer a world of possibilities. Here are 10 activities to consider:
Out of 36 million brackets submitted to major online games for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, only four perfect brackets remained heading into the final day of the second round.
And none of those brackets stayed perfect heading into the Sweet 16.
Still, even though "perfect" is no longer possible, the tournament will go on. There will be more upsets, more blow-outs, and more brackets busted. And fans all over the country will cheer some wins, cope with some disappointments, and find new teams, players, and storylines to root for if their favorites don't make it all the way.
Throughout the course of your financial plan, you'll often have to let go of "perfect" and adjust to the ups and downs that life throws at you. These three strategies can help you stay in the game and win round by round all the way to retirement.
Stay ahead of the markets with timely insights by uncovering the latest on the global economy, geopolitics and retirement, among other timely investment ideas - Student of the Market - March 2026
