Editor’s note: Dave Buck is a longtime columnist with Rethinking65. To read more of his articles, click here.
William was a highly successful business professional enjoying a long and satisfying career. He worked with his last employer for over 20 years and built a lot of close relationships with coworkers and clients. Or so he thought. Now six months into his retirement, he’s struggling with persistent feelings of anger and frustration.
On his way into post-career life, William was celebrated and thanked. Many people told him they looked forward to hearing about retirement life and catching up over lunch or dinner. William was eager to hear about the latest happenings and to provide advice and counsel. Yet, he feels those promises have not been kept and he is being ignored. Now he is trying to figure out life when so many of the people who filled the time in his day no longer have time in their day for him.
This scenario often plays out for those heading into retirement. Of those who have taken my Retirement Time Analysis, 43% agree or strongly agree with the following statement: “A job/career provides me with one of my main fulfillments in life, without one I lack aim and direction and purpose.” That means four in 10 of your clients could experience resentment and irritation when heading into retirement.
To help prepare those you serve to manage their anger in post-career life, introduce them to the acronym RETIRE, which stands for the following:
We all consume time at the same rate, 24 hours every day. Your in-career clients, are spending roughly one-third of their total allocation of time in their occupation. Should they choose to head into retirement with no work, they have a lot of time to fill. Make them aware by asking them the following:
What does life mean to you with no work?
What’s a typical day going to look like for you?
What are your goals for the next couple of years?
Getting them to think beyond the time they spend at work will create a better reality and expectations.
Evaluate the Their Approach to Life
Feeling like they are forced to act a certain way in retirement can make many people angry. Therefore, give them permission to think beyond stereotypes. You can help them by walking through a lifestyle SWOT exercise used in business planning. Ask:
What are your current personal strengths?
Where do you see personal weaknesses in life?
What external opportunities can you pursue for a diverse life?
What outside threats could derail a meaningful life in retirement?
Knowing what internally and externally can impact a client’s mindset can help you provide better financial advice as well.
Take Stock of Your Connections
Relationships are important in any stage of life, but their importance increases as we get older. As the size of networks changes, there is a notable substitution effect where weak ties (like acquaintances) are replaced by stronger ties (such as family). Give your clients a healthy dose of reality by helping them reflect on their connections.
What are your expectations around maintaining relationships with coworkers and clients in retirement?
Who are the must-have people you want in your life, and what will you do to make sure they are there?
Retirement significantly impacts social relationships, with many retirees striving to maintain strong friendships and connections. You can be one of those for them.
Identify Lifestyle Opportunities
In 2023, over 338,000 retirees moved to new homes, marking a 44% increase from 2022 and the highest number in three years. This trend indicates that retirement is becoming a more significant motivator for relocation compared to job-related moves or seeking cheaper housing. A home base is often the springboard to a variety of activities. Check with your clients.
Have you planned what life will be like if you must relocate or downsize?
What are you doing to automate the care and maintenance of your home?
A home should be kept if it is a lifestyle asset and not a burden that will increase as retirees age. That will prevent future angst for themselves and family if or when alternatives must be pursued.
Respond to Their Non-Financial Concerns
Yes, you are there to help create a financial strategy that navigates clients through their retirement years with minimal stress and worry. However, their attitude and perspectives on life will be impacted even if their monetary situation is stable. Should you sense your clients want to expand the conversation beyond the numbers, embrace that. It will help you help them on the financial side, but you should also be ready to refer them to a qualified professional if the anger goes deep.
Engage in Alternatives Now
I took a couple through a few strategy sessions and built an outline of a lifestyle plan. They were financially prepared yet seeking clarity beyond the numbers. However, I still sensed some apprehension. The wife asked, “What if we do this and it is not right?”
My answer to them was, “Why wait?” I was not asking them to step into retirement now, but to test elements of their plan immediately to decide what they like and don’t like to “work out the kinks” while still working. You can encourage clients to give elements of their retirement a try right now, so they are not angry the planning did not work later.
William has come to realize that time moves very differently for him now. His approach to life is not rigid and should be adaptable. He is pivoting to enhancing and growing relationships beyond the ones he had at work. William is evaluating if his current living arrangements will work for him now and well into the future. He has come to realize that while his finances are fine, the old adage of money not buying happiness has a ring of truth to it. While in retirement now, he knows he needs to be ready to find alternative activities if the current ones do not meet his needs. He now has tools to manage his anger.
David Buck is the author of the book “The Time-Optimized Life,” co-author of the book, “The Retirement Collective,” owner of Kairos Management Solutions LLC, and founder of the Infinity Lifestyle Design program. As a certified professional retirement coach (CPRC), David works with financial services providers helping their clients create a post-career lifestyle strategy. To learn more, contact him at dave@kmstime.com or visit Infinity Lifestyle Design.
William was a highly successful business professional enjoying a long and satisfying career. He worked with his last employer for over 20 years and built a lot of close relationships with coworkers and clients. Or so he thought. Now six months into his retirement, he’s struggling with persistent feelings of anger and frustration.
