Should spouses retire at the same time? It’s a simple question, but one that is hard to answer simply. So here are some factors to consider before making a decision about whether spouses retire at the same time.
Should you and your spouse retire at the same time? Questions to ask yourself
- What are your ages?
- How close are you both to qualifying for Medicare and Social Security?
- How well have you both planned for your retirement years in terms of funds, location, and your mutual physical health?
- Have you talked about how you’ll spend your time together and apart? (Do you really like spending time together, or does separation make the heart grow fonder?)
Finding the way to move forward together in retirement
You see, retirement isn’t some magic spell that comes over you, causing all the pain points of your relationship to instantly dissolve. Far from it.
In fact, when both spouses retire, there are many ways to move forward. If you both found work was a great and useful distraction, keep it up. See if you can be a consultant to your old company. If you really don’t want to work, how about volunteering at your grandson’s school. Or becoming a crossing guard while school is in session. Or maybe you go back to school to become that something special that you always dreamed of.
We are not saying that you and your spouse should hide from one another but be realistic: if you both need another life away from one another during the day, don’t feel bad or guilty about it. Embrace it and listen to your inner voice of wisdom.
Whatever way the two of you decide to reconstruct your lives for your next great adventure, listen to your inner voice of experience. Then, set up that new life with the wisdom that your “before” life has given you, with the rules, the boundaries and the flexibility to let each of you be you.
How a retirement coach can help you both
Finally, seek out a third party, like a Certified Retirement Coach, to help facilitate your spousal discussions so that the both of you are open and honest with each other about your wants, needs and desires. Once you go down that path, new opportunities you never imagined open up and as long as you are 100% honest with one another, your Coach will get you to the starting line of that new life you’ll live for the next thirty or so years.
At Retirement Lifestyle Coaching, we offer more than retirement planning; we provide customized lifestyle planning and strategy to those 55 and over who need some extra guidance and support to curate their next exciting next chapter. It can be especially helpful when both spouses retire at the same time.
Why reach out for extra assistance with crafting your ideal retirement lifestyle? Because if you’re not careful, your retirement can start to resemble a tangled bed of weeds instead of a well-tended garden.
Bob Foley will help you create the retirement lifestyle you and your spouse desire, without all the stumbles, fits, and starts that can happen when you go it alone. He understands the challenges that come when spouses retire. He’ll listen to your goals and dreams for this time in your life, and help you and your spouse map out real, actionable steps to make them your retirement reality.
About Bob Foley
Bob Foley is your Retirement Lifestyle Coach and you can reach him by email at bob@retirementlifestylecoach.com or simply by scheduling time on his calendar.
Bob Foley is on a mission to make sure your retirement lifestyle is designed just for you. After all, he knows how much retirement has changed in the past few decades. Because you’re not your parents, and your retirement won’t look like theirs.
You’re a dynamic and vibrant individual, and retirement isn’t about to change that!
Bob knows what it’s like to be a driven, career-minded professional who’s suddenly standing on the precipice of retirement, looking down on an unfamiliar landscape full of shadowy unknowns and big, looming question marks. Meet Bob Foley.
