Five Stages of Retirement

The Five Stages of Retirement by Michael Katz in the Street.com shares a joint study by AgeWave, Ameriprise Financial and Harris Interactive on the five emotional stages of retirement. A key point of the study is that emotional preparation is as important as financial preparation. Here is a table from the article showing the five stages:

The Five Stages of Retirement
Stage	Timeframe	Emotions, concerns and aspirations
Imagination	Six to 15 Years Prior to Retirement	• Growing enthusiasm and excitement as retirement gets closer. • 74% expect to enjoy retirement a great deal.
Anticipation	Zero to Five Years Prior to Retirement	• Excited and hopeful until worry and doubt set in one to two years prior to retirement. • 77% expect to enjoy retirement a great deal.
Liberation	First Day to First Year of Retirement	• Excited and relieved from work stress. • 78% enjoying retirement a great deal.
Reorientation	Two to 15 Years Into Retirement	• For some, retirement is more challenging than they thought. May feel depressed and bored. • Others reinvent themselves and undergo a transformation into a fulfilling new life.
Reconciliation	16+ Into Retirement	• Relatively content and less depressed and worried, but sad as they begin to confront end-of-life issues. • 75% enjoying retirement a great deal.
Source: AgeWave, Ameripise Financial and Harris Interactive.

For me, I am enjoying the Liberation phase since I retired less than a month ago. However, since I retired in my forties, I also feel motivated to starting the next phase of Reorientation, to define the "meaningful purpose" in this third phase of life. I can't see 43.5 hours in front of the TV like the average retiree. I've already started taking classes on exploring my options (e.g. my dream job) and am excited about what the future may be.

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This is not financial or retirement advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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