Tag Archives: Financial Independence

Why and how Financial Independence is achievable

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By Jade Anderson

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

Financial independence can mean different things to different people, but the widespread definition is to be financially secure and on the right track to a safe retirement.

Sometimes people will still need to work in order to maintain their financial independence (aka “Findependence”), but the main idea is that you are free from any debt or outside help from financial institutions. This may seem like something that is unachievable for anyone outside of retirement age, who isn’t well established; however, because of the different types of financial independence, it may not be so difficult after all. Adjusting your spending habits, creating a budget for your self and several other things can lead you towards Findependence, if you know the right things you need to consider.

Reduce unnecessary expenses

Setting up a budget for the long term is extremely important if you’re wanting to become financially independent. If you can cut down on any unnecessary expenses (such as extra food, clothing, and entertainment) in your weekly spending, then you’ll find it will be a lot easier to save. If you are not used to saving money, starting small is important because it will help you establish a pattern of saving properly, and it will be easier for you when you move up to saving more of your average income.

Plan your savings and spending

Planning not only your savings, but also your spending is crucial for ensuring your financial independence. If you have a few debts, and you can make plans to pay off certain amounts by certain dates, you’ll find that the overall debt is easier to pay off, than if you paid it off in a lump sum. Using one of the financial calculators like those on Brighter Finance can help you calculate your budget and repayment periods for your loans, so you can keep track of your money more easily.

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FP: A look at three retirement income planning software packages

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My latest Financial Post column looks at a few retirement income planning software packages that help would-be retirees and semi-retirees plan how to start drawing down from various income sources: Click on the highlighted text to retrieve the full article: How you draw down your retirement savings could save you thousands: this program proves it.

There may be as many as 26 distinct sources of income a retired couple may encounter, estimates Ian Moyer, a 40-year veteran of the financial industry and creator of the Cascades program described in the article.

When he started to plan for his own decumulation adventure, five years ago, he felt there was very little planning software out there that was both comprehensive and easy to use. So, he hired a computer programmer and created his own package, now called Cascades.

While the main focus of the FP article is on Cascades, (available to financial advisors for $1,000 a year; do it yourself investors can negotiate a price directly), the article also references a couple of other programs we have looked at previously here on the Hub: Doug Dahmer’s Retirement Navigator and BetterMoneyChoices.com, the latter currently nearing the end of beta testing.

Dahmer has been writing guest blogs on decumulation here at the Hub almost since this site’s founding in 2014. See for example his most recent one, or the similar articles flagged at the bottom: Top 10 Rules for Successful Retirement Income Planning.

Dahmer says he’s pleased that others are waking up to the need for tax planning in the drawdown years: “Cascades provides a very good, easy-to-use introduction to these concepts.”

Planning for peaks and valleys in spending

Retirement Navigator’s Doug Dahmer

However, Dahmer would like an approach that doesn’t assume yearly spending remains relatively static: his Better Money Choices(available on line for $108 a year) allows for the “peaks and valleys” of spending as retirees pass through their Go-go to their slow-go and finally their “no-go” years.  Most retirees have to plan for sporadic large purchases like renovations or replacement of roofs or furnaces, plus of course vacations with widely varying price tags. Each spending peak represents a tax challenge, while the valleys are where the tax planning opportunities exist. Dahmer likens Better Money Choices to a gym monthly membership and Retirement Navigator to a personal trainer.

Personally, I found going through both firm’s programs a fascinating exercise, very much like putting together a jig saw puzzle. For me, Better Money Choices helps you visualize the final picture you’re trying to assemble, showing how much money you’ll need and when you’ll need it. Cascades provides vivid yearly snapshots of your year-by-year progress in putting the pieces together.

What does it really take to move overseas?

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Overseas life is adventuresome

By Akaisha Kaderli

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

In preparing for a retirement overseas, we would wager that most people occupy themselves with the practical concerns of residential visas, banking, owning property, finding a doctor they like, medical care that they can afford and dealing with any language barriers. These are pragmatic matters with realistic solutions, and we say that these areas are almost the easiest part of making this lifestyle change. While the above mentioned topics are important and must be solved, we want to share with you what it really takes to move overseas.

It may surprise you, but what we have seen take people down, destroying their retirement dreams and sometimes even their marriages, are the emotional and psychological challenges one faces in adjusting to their new lifestyle overseas.

How do you prepare for these obstacles ahead of time? We hope the following tips and insight will shed some light on the topic.

Just like home, only cheaper

You could save a bundle moving overseas

Many people trip themselves up with their giddiness over the fantastic cost of living in their new location. They often come into a new country talking themselves into believing that living in their new destination is just like home, only cheaper. We want to tell you that no place overseas is just like home. Customs, foods, weather cycles, housing codes, the treatment of pets, the laws, the language, cobblestone streets and workmanship quality are all different.

We have seen folks love the quaintness of their new town but then fall apart because they can’t find parking near to markets where they shop. Their charming town might not have one-stop-shoping with a parking lot tying several stores together so they find that market day involves stopping in six locations, perhaps fighting traffic in between. Instead of taking their time to enjoy their enchanting town, they find this situation to be annoying and they carry the frustration with them all day.

 Culture and customs

Animals are treated as animals in developing nations and not as family members. Street dogs are common and if your heart is easily broken, then this might pose a problem for you. Continue Reading…

There’s more to Retirement than Financial Planning

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The retirement industry is starting to wake up to the fact that just because a client has achieved a certain level of retirement savings doesn’t mean that they will automatically enjoy a happy retirement.

Life just doesn’t work that way and the truth is that financial planning fails without lifestyle planning: you need to have a good handle on what you are actually saving for and why.

Our level of happiness is not determined by how much money we have; rather, it is how we choose to live our lives. In our new transition guide we have compiled a list of key attributes that if focused on will help you live longer, healthier and happier lives. By focusing on these attributes you will be well on your way to a happy and fulfilling life.

Today I would like to share some thoughts I have on one of these attributes, which is our relationship with time.

Time: Your most precious resource

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo de Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” – H. Jackson Brown

Visiting my mother at the nursing home always reminds me that I’m getting old and every day is bringing me closer to the end. It is not a negative thought; rather, it’s an important reminder to focus and use my remaining time on this planet wisely on the things that really matter. Rushing around stressed out because I’m wasting my time is a major happiness killer for me. Watching my mother I often wonder if I am living my “why,” the best I can? Can I do better? Am I doing the best for my family?  For my friends? Am I making the world a little better?

Best Before Date

Today I’m working hard at getting into shape. My time investment is a priority of mine as it will increase the odds of me living longer, and also help push back my “best before date” increasing the amount of quality time I have at my disposal.

I view “quality time” as the period of my life when I am healthy enough to do the things I love:  golfing, fishing, traveling etc. Once you pass the “best before date” and have lost your health it really doesn’t matter how much money or time you have left because you will not be healthy enough to spend it. That’s just the way it is.

Black Swan Events

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Benefits of hiring a “Discretionary” Portfolio Manager

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Canadian investors have been following a variety of recent debates about the structure of the advisor/client relationship. I’m going to cut to the chase quickly.

If you seek core qualities and competencies from your investment professional, such as the following list, you need to conduct some research. Your mission is to find a way to hire a “discretionary” portfolio manager (DPM) for your ongoing wealth management needs.

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