I recently saw a new study about retirement that asked participants what percent of their portfolio they can withdraw on a year-by-year basis in retirement. The majority of respondents said they could safely withdraw about 10 percent of their portfolio. As a financial advisor my response was “are you kidding?” Ten percent is more than double what you can comfortably withdraw from your portfolio. As I’ve mentioned many times in [...]

How do you get started on a health and fitness journey in older age? Rather than focusing on goals that feel unattainable or unsustainable, you’re better off focusing on lifestyle activities that will keep you active and exploring — and allow for fun. Connie Smith, the Healthy Living Director for Florida’s First Coast YMCA, says to just try something new. “Try something different that you’ve never done before, every single [...]

Throughout your career, you’ve taken a vow to protect and serve your community. And as you near retirement, you want to know you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the benefits you’ve worked hard to earn. In fact, 88 percent of public sector employees find their retirement benefits extremely important, compared to only 65 percent of private-sector employees.1  But in an effort to find success in retirement, there are a [...]

Take a moment and make a list of all the expenses you'll have in retirement. It's not easy, is it? There are a lot of them, and they're not always easy to predict. Most people remember the basics, like food, housing, and transportation. But far too many people are forgetting about the three expenses listed below. Most retirees will still have to pay taxes, unless they've stashed all their savings [...]

Many people look forward to their retirement for years. However, once it begins, they may find all the newfound free time overwhelming. If you’re planning on retiring soon, having a plan for how you’ll spend your time is important for your health and happiness. Here are five ideas for staying mentally and physically active, as well as engaged in your community: 1. Start a walking meet-up: Host a morning walking [...]

Riverhead’s identical twin police officers are retiring this week after more than three decades of police work together. Lt. David Lessard and Sgt. Thomas Lessard will walk out of Riverhead Police Department Headquarters for the last time as sworn officers Friday afternoon. The brothers chose to retire on the same day, though Dave started on the job in January 1988, a year before Tom. “My brother actually signed me up [...]