Retirement Planning Strategies February 2018

Ron and Judy’s Long Summer MAKING THE MOST OF RETIREMENT

For a lot of people, transitioning into retirement is a journey into the unknown. Ron and Judy Luehring were no different. Judy equates the feeling to the leap of faith scene from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” “Retirement is like stepping off a cliff,” she says. “You may not be certain what’s in front of you, but you’ll only find out if you pull the trigger.” Judy spent her working years teaching, so she was fairly prepared for retirement, thinking of it as a “long summer vacation.” Ron, a federal employee, had a few more trepidations. “We were actually going to retire two years earlier than we did,” he notes. “It was only after my cousin, who is a year younger than me, had a stroke that I recognized time was ticking. Once we made the decision, it only took me a few hours to realize it was the right one.” Since taking the leap of faith, Ron and Judy have been living life to the fullest. “I’m amazed at how much life there is to live after retirement,” Judy remarks. “For me, even the mundane tasks are fulfilling.” In addition to getting enjoyment from those everyday tasks, Ron and Judy have found no shortage of exciting activities to occupy their time. Chief among those activities is scuba diving. “We all got certified when the kids were in school,” Judy remembers. “When they went off to college, though, we didn’t have the time or funds to pursue this passion. We always said we’d love to start it up again, and retirement proved the perfect opportunity.” In the past three years, they’ve been to Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Roatan, and Belize. They’ve also been enjoying spending time with their grandkids. “We watch them three times a week,” Ron says. “To be honest, I was never excited to be a grandparent. I now feel the exact opposite.” They also take their grandchildren camping a couple times throughout the year. “It means a lot to take these trips together,” Judy adds. “It’s awesome that we don’t have to coordinate all of our schedules. When the kids are free, we make time for them.” When they’re not busy exploring the ocean or spending time with the little ones, Ron and Judy enjoy working on home projects and attending spinning classes. “Now that we’re retired, we have to put artificial deadlines on projects,” Ron says. “Otherwise, we’d work on them forever.” Ann and the team at Retirement Planning Strategies gave Ron and Judy the confidence to pursue retirement with the same enthusiasm they had for their careers. “She laid everything out in detail,” Ron recalls. “She never told us what to do, but she assured us that we had the financial security to retire. I remember her ‘When Every Day Is Saturday’ class vividly. It made me think of retirement in a whole new light.”

When it comes to advice for others approaching retirement, Judy is matter of fact. “Once you are confident you can retire comfortably, don’t wait,” she says. “Step into the unknown. You’ll be all the better for it.” Ron concurs, adding that it’s important to stay active and socialize during your retirement. “Physical and mental activity keeps you sharp,” he notes. “I have a group of engineer friends I spend time with as well as my spinning class partners. The camaraderie between us is energizing.” He also recommends speaking to an expert so that you approach retirement with your eyes open. It’s plain to see that Ron and Judy are making the most of their post-work years. As Ron puts it, “You’d have to be pretty dense to not notice the difference.”

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