Pre-tirement is that phase between full-time work and what we think of as traditional retirement, and it could be the key to you having a great retirement. Traditional retirement planning that focuses only on investing just doesn’t work. It doesn’t inspire much confidence or clarity about what your future could be. On this episode, I explain the advantages of pre-tirement and give you some ideas to get you started thinking about it. Listen in to learn why you should consider pre-tirement before retirement! Why is pre-tirement important? Saving and investing for retirement is extremely important. But it is not all of the story. Your nest egg cannot be all of it. It just doesn’t work. As you think about your retirement, consider pre-tirement as part of your plan. It takes some pressure off of the saving mentality and allows you to build a better life when you do reach full retirement. On this episode, I give you a number of reasons why pre-tirement is important, explain the advantages, and suggest ways you can go about it. Listen in and get started on planning your pre-tirement! Pre-tirement offers numerous financial benefits Pre-tirement (thinking of retirement like a dimmer switch) offers numerous financial advantages over full retirement (the on-off switch). On today’s episode, I will explain how pre-tirement benefits you in terms of preserving investments, delaying Social Security, reducing health-care costs, and moderating spikes in post-retirement spending. Listen in to learn what you need to know about pre-tirement and how it could save your retirement! Pre-tirement offers qualitative advantages that you could miss out on with full retirement As you are planning your retirement, qualitative considerations are as important as financial ones. When you treat retirement like an on-off switch, you miss out on a number of qualitative advantages that come with treating retirement like a dimmer switch, by embracing pre-tirement. Join me on this episode to learn about the difference that pre-tirement can make in your social network, your sense of purpose, and in your mental and physical health and motivation. What can I do to start exploring pre-tirement? You want to start planning your pre-tirement sooner than later. On this episode, I describe several steps you can take to get started and provide a few questions you can begin thinking about. Should you stay in your same industry or do something different that you love? How do you go about building a new network? What opportunities should you consider? Listen to this episode of The Retirement Answer Man Podcast for answers to these questions and more. OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN [0:24] What is pre-tirement? [0:33] Why do I need something different than traditional retirement planning? [2:23] Disclaimer HOT TOPIC SEGMENT [3:04] Why Americans are still not confident or ready for retirement. PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT [5:38] What excites you most about retirement? [7:30] What does pre-tirement look like? [12:24] Why is the pre-tirement phase important? [14:57] Transitioning into retirement is a period of significant change. [15:35] Pre-tirement preserves your savings. [17:29] Pre-tirement allows you to delay Social Security and keep your full benefit. [19:49] Pre-tirement can reduce health-care costs. [21:34] Pre-tirement can help you moderate post-retirement spending. [23:45] Pre-tirement helps you maintain a robust social network. [26:42] Pre-tirement can help you maintain a sense of purpose. [28:25] Pre-tirement supports your mental and physical health. [29:10] Getting started tip #1 - Start planning earlier than later. Questions to ask. [31:09] Getting started tip #2 - Build your networks. [32:19] Getting started tip #3 - Be open to opportunities. [32:50] A few ideas for pre-tirement work TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT [34:17] Think about what you might do in a pre-tirement phase. (Share it with me so I can share the ideas on another show). THE HAP