Retirement Planning Dreams

It can be tough to find the right words for a special occasion sometimes. When someone is retiring, it’s a nice gesture to send or offer a card with kind words of congratulations and best wishes for the wonderful future. It you aren’t sure what to say, you can include some well-known or even obscure retirement quotes in your card or greeting to the retiree.

If you are related to the person who is retiring, it would be both loving and respectful to include some of your own words and thoughts instead of just relying on the wit or candor of someone who was clever enough to be quoted. If you would still like to include a retirement quote, such as something listed below, consider first including your heartfelt words of congratulations.

Sentimental and Humorous Retirement Quotes

Consider these retirement quotes as options for some phrasing and sayings you can include in a retirement card or greeting.

• Enjoy your life to the fullest now that you don’t have to work!

• Hope you have fun with the challenge of spending your time as you like without spending all your money!

• With retirement comes better hours, but less money! Hope you enjoy!

• “Retirement means no pressure, no stress, no heartache… unless you play golf.”

- Gene Perret

• “Retire from work, but not from life.”

- M.K. Soni

• “Don’t act your age [in retirement]. Act like the inner young person you have always been.”

- J. A. West

• Take the time to smell the roses and enjoy the life to the fullest!

• Enjoy your retirement now that every day is like the weekend!

• Now you can enjoy your life without a job to hold you down. Happy Retirement!

• No more work! Enjoy life to the fullest — now is the time to chase your dreams.

• Happy Retirement! Now you can enjoy your time and your money….

• Retirement: Fish, golf, and travel to your heart’s content!

Tips on Retirement Greetings

Remember, if someone you know is retiring, this is a very special and important time in life for that person. You should do your best to show respect and appreciation for the retiree, offering encouragement and friendship for the future. You can send retirement greetings in a greeting card or in an e-card, e-mail, or a handwritten note. You can also offer retirement greetings verbally either in person or over the phone.

Most of the time it is nice to offer a true retirement card with heartfelt sentiments on the person’s many years of hard work and dedication to the job. Express your own thoughts and feelings about how proud you are of the retiree, and offer a reminder that now is the time to relax and enjoy life. A lot of people look forward to retirement and then may not know what to do with it once it gets here – remind your special retiree that you are always there for support.

Filed under: Celebration on July 4th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

The SEP IRA (or Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account) is a nice option for employers and self-employed individuals to put funds toward retirement, whether for their employees or themselves. The benefits of SEP IRAs make them quite enticing to the self-employed, not to mention convenient. A few benefits of starting a SEP IRA are: flexible contributions, tax-deductible contributions, generous contribution limits, tax-deferred interest, easy to set up and maintain, easy retirement plan rollover and consolidation, and low cost.

Any employer is eligible to establish SEP IRAS for their employees. Self-employed contributors also working for an employer can have their own SEP IRA for their self employment income while also participating in the employer offered retirement plan for their full-time job.

How to Start SEP IRA Accounts
You should talk to your accountant and/or financial advisor for specific details around starting SEP IRA accounts. According to the IRS, opening a SEP IRA account requires three components: execution of a formal written agreement, providing eligible employees with required information about the SEP IRA accounts, and finally, ensuring that all eligible employees have SEP IRA accounts available to them.

The IRS also states that the employees themselves own and control the SEP IRA accounts while the employer simply makes the SEP IRA contributions. For more information about setting up a SEP IRA, contact your accountant, financial advisor, or visit the IRS Web site.

SEP IRA Deadline
The SEP IRA deadline is Read more »

Filed under: Plans on April 4th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

In many cases, friends, family, or even coworkers may throw a retirement party for someone who is leaving the company to no longer work. No matter who is planning the social gathering, various retirement planning ideas can help to ensure that the entire event goes off without a hitch. In thinking about the different retirement party ideas available, remember to consider the theme of the party, the party menu and any dietary restrictions of the guest of honor, and of course, retirement party decorations.

Planning a retirement party may take longer than you think if you are interested in securing all the details. Consider these retirement party ideas to help you plan an unforgettable and creative event.

Retirement Party Ideas for Men
When men reach the age to retire, some of them already have one foot out the door while others may secretly not be ready to move on. Depending on which kind of outlook the retiree-to-be has, you can consider different retirement party ideas to suit the mood. For men who are retiring reluctantly because they still like their jobs and working, you might focus your retirement party on all their achievements over the years, including awards and personal sentiments from each employee. Some retirement party ideas for men who can’t wait to retire may include an exciting send-off with lots of focus on the new-found freedom that will greet the retiree after the party ends.

Along with your retirement party ideas for men, don’t forget to Read more »

Filed under: Celebration on February 25th, 2010 | 2 Comments »

401(k) Hardship Withdrawal Q&A

If you’ve learned anything about retirement planning so far, it is probably safe to say you’ve learned not to touch that money you’ve set aside unless you absolutely, positively must. Not quite borrowing, 401(k) hardship withdrawal typically indicates that you’ve met that “must” point in life. Read on to find out what 401(k) hardship withdrawal actually is, what it does to your retirement planning assets, and why you should think long and hard before deciding on a 401(k) hardship withdrawal.

If you absolutely must use some or all of your retirement fund for a personal or family emergency or to pay your bills, 401(k) hardship withdrawal may be the answer… but you might not like what you hear about how it impacts your future in the long run. Find out what the experts have to say about 401(k) hardship withdrawal and whether you should ever consider it as a viable option.

Q. – When is it OK to borrow from your 401(k) / retirement savings (if ever)? Read more »

Filed under: Retirement Risks on February 21st, 2010 | 5 Comments »

With more and more families going for the dual income, retirement planning for women is that much more important. Retirement planning for women should start as early in life as possible, whether married or single. In truth, women should start their retirement planning as soon as they get their first real job out of college, if not even before that.

Whether married or single, women should place key importance on their retirement planning and goals for retirement. Husband and wife should absolutely work together to save as much money as they can for retirement. Single women, too, should place great effort into saving a substantial amount for retirement to ensure a comfortable lifestyle when the time comes to quit working.

Statistics on Retirement Planning for Women from the 2009 Hartford Study
According to The Hartford’s 2009 Investments & Retirement Study conducted last fall, women tend to be more concerned than men about their financial future, particularly in terms of retirement and retirement planning. The study found that women are more likely than men to work longer and to delay retirement. The Investments & Retirement Study also discovered that, due to current economic conditions, women are typically reducing their standards of living and saving less money for retirement than men.  Additionally, the study showed that women did not have as much confidence as men when it came to thinking about whether their sources of retirement income would be enough.

Hartford’s 2009 Investments & Retirement Study also found that women usually seem to need Read more »

Filed under: Still Working... on February 20th, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Admit it — we all dream about the day when we don’t have to work for a living anymore. We’re all waiting for that moment when all that  matters is what our next vacation destination will be, when we’ll next see our grandkids, and what movie matinee we want to see. Or, maybe we are so far from grandkids but just plain can’t wait to stop working!

Whatever the case, retirement is in our futures. It is up to us to make the most of it by planning for retirement as early as possible. Are you ready for retirement? Ask yourself these questions about retirement to determine if you are in the right mindset to start your retirement transition planning.

1. Have you saved up as big a nest egg as possible?
2. Do you know what your estimated monthly income will be once your are finally retired?
3. Are you comfortable and confident with the retirement income amount ahead of you?
4. Have you paid off all your debt, or at least as much debt as humanly possible?
5. Read more »

Filed under: Still Working... on February 16th, 2010 | No Comments »

Many people look forward to retirement for many years before they actually, finally get there. Making the transition to retirement can take years if you want it to be a longer transition, easing you into your retirement days without a hasty rush at the last minute. Depending on how much money you’ve saved for retirement and what your family situation is at retirement age, you can choose to make the transition to retirement when the moment is right for you.

What many folks may not realize is that a transition to retirement may leave them feeling initially without purpose. In an article for BizTimes, Jo Hawkins Donovan, a former Milwaukee area resident and a certified transition coach, says, “There are five important benefits that we derive from full-time work. Part of the planning for a vital retirement involves finding replacements for each of these five benefits.”

Donovan lists the benefits of fulltime work as being a regular paycheck, time management, a sense of purpose, status, and socialization. She stresses the importance of ensuring these key elements are wrapped nicely into your plan when making your transition to retirement. With this in mind, everyone nearing retirement age should take the time to arrange replacements for the benefits of fulltime work in the transition to retirement phase.

Tips to Make the Transition to Retirement Easier
Some examples of meeting these essential needs while transitioning into retirement could be: Read more »

Filed under: Still Working..., Tips & Strategies on February 16th, 2010 | No Comments »

You are never too young to start planning your retirement. No matter if you want to plan an early retirement, or simply plan your retirement to give you enough money to live comfortably, you should start planning your retirement as early as possible. Even if you only put aside a modest amount of money per month, or even one lump sum per year, you will absolutely make a difference in your lifestyle as a mature adult.

Whether you want to retire in your current home or move to a warm and tropical location, planning your retirement is an important part of life. For the best chance at a successful and comfortable retirement, make sure you are planning your retirement early and on a continual basis. Consider these tips on planning your retirement to help you prepare for a fulfilling future where you no longer have to work.

1. Set your goals for retirement now. Don’t put it off – the sooner you know what you want out of retirement, the better chance you have of achieving it. Make a commitment and write down your goal. You’ll have a much better chance of achieving it.

2. Max out on your 401k to earn the full company match. The money matched to your contributions in your 401k by your employer is free money. Up the ante and make sure you contribute at least the minimum amount to collect your company’s full 401k contribution.

3. If you can further increase your retirement savings percentage comfortably, do. The IRS allows you to contribute the lesser amount of $49,000 or 100% of your salary, so you should set aside as much as you can, even if it is on the lower amount, like 10 or 20%.

4. Reduce the amount Read more »

Filed under: Tips & Strategies on February 15th, 2010 | No Comments »

Welcome to Retirement Planning Dreams! We want you to know how important it is to start saving for your retirement, no matter what your age. The sooner you start saving, the more money you will have when you are able to stop working, relax, travel, and live your life the way you want to live it.

Retirement Planning Dreams offers informative retirement planning articles to share retirement saving strategies, retirement planning tips, and other information to help you plan for your future. We’ll evaluate different types of retirement plans, share tips on various strategies of saving for your retirement, and we’ll even offer tips on throwing retirement parties or choosing retirement gifts from time to time.

Stay tuned for a wealth of retirement planning articles to help get you on the right track for the future of your dreams. We will give you the tools and retirement planning resources you need to make your retirement planning dreams come true.

Filed under: Uncategorized on February 14th, 2010 | No Comments »