There are as many retirement experiences as there are people reaching this all important milestone. While there is no right or wrong way to retire, there are some concrete steps one can take to make this phase a comfortable one.

• Ask yourself whether or not you are ready to retire
• How will I spend my time?
• Can I afford to retire? There are many excellent books on the subject so go on line or to your local library and do some research.
• Be aware of your tax situation, consult your accountant.
• Where do you want to live in retirement? Decide on climate, proximity to family, type of house/condo. Maybe the ideal location is not in the US. I’ve chosen the island of Grenada in the West Indies, which is my personal paradise.
• Have a plan? Do you want to be productive, lazy, focus more on family, friends. Whatever you decide to do, realize that there is no wrong choice here.
• Take time to decide the course of the next many years. You may feel energetic now, want to volunteer, start a new venture, go back to school. However, a year or two or five from now, those goals may change and that’s perfectly OK.