Monday 26 July 2010

Retire In Style?


My uncle, at age of 70, is still a keen golfer who travels around the world to play golf.  

To enable him to do that, he needs first of all good health physically and second - financially sound of course. 

Watching him play on the green, prompted me to think about my own retirement plan. 

Human beings are distinguished from other species by our ability to think ahead and to plan ahead.  That may be true, but it is also true that most of us (myself included) have great trouble thinking about the long term and preparing for it. 

I get these questions upfront which immediately give me headache:
  • How much will I need in order to live comfortably? 
  • What should be my goals? 
  • When should I start? 
  • What should I do? 
  • How much can I count on from Mandatory Provident Funds? 

It is difficult enough to plan something just 6 months down the road, like a summer vacation.  How on earth am I supposed to be able to think about something in the distant future - like a retirement plan and let alone one that lets me retire in style?

But heck, the clock is ticking and we all get older the minute bygone.  What should we do?  Should we carry with us the immediacy of our animal cousins, or start planning now? 

What do you think?









1 comment:

Anonymous said...

it's always a fine art... getting the equilibrium right... enjoy present moment VS plan/save for future... call me pessimistic... by the time we retire, everything will be so expensive and scarce like water and fresh air!!!