Retirement · May 13, 2024

Take Your Retirement Lifestyle for a Test Drive

A lot of thought goes into planning to retire—when to start saving, what assets to consider and how much you'll need once you stop working. But a key part of that preparation is often overlooked—having a realistic idea of what your retirement lifestyle will be.

While there are plenty of unknown variables in any retirement outlook—think market volatility, life expectancy and inflation—you can try to control and plan for certain aspects. For example, the amount of travel or part-time work in your future can significantly impact your financial plan.

Here's a look at ways to assess your life in retirement before you fully commit to a plan. The earlier you start, the better—because what you discover may affect your financial strategies.

Infographic depicting ways to plan for retirement

Many people now think of retirement as life's third act, with time for exploring new parts of the world and new pastimes. The secret is figuring out what activities will be most rewarding.

37% of retirees describe themselves as adventurous.1

"We can help you think about how to translate emotional goals into a quantifiable plan that can help you get from a dream to reality." – Jason Burkett, Premier Banking Sales Performance Manager for First Citizens

3 ways to better plan for retirement

1. Scratch your travel itch

To ensure the travel lifestyle suits you, use your vacation time to figure out your likes and dislikes.

  • Sightseeing vs. relaxing
  • Flying vs. road-tripping
  • Visiting friends vs. traveling independently
  • Getting pampered vs. roughing it

As you learn your preferred travel style—which could be a mix of the above—you'll start to gauge how much travel you'll want to book. Then, you can start thinking about how your goals impact your retirement budget.

  • 60% of workers hope to travel in retirement, making it the top retirement dream.2
  • On average, retirees take 3.2 overnight trips each year.3
  • On average, retirees spend 5% to 10% of their annual budget on travel.4

2. Explore your hobbies

Picking up a sport or taking on a new skill sound like reasonable retirement goals. But what if you don't like pickleball or your cakes all fall flat? Before adding the cost of new hobbies to your retirement budget, figure out what you enjoy most.

43% of people want to pursue hobbies in retirement.2

Most popular hobbies among retirees—excluding travel5:

  • 44%: Cooking and baking
  • 42%: Reading
  • 39%: Pets
  • 34%: Gardening/plants
  • 28%: Outdoor activities
  • 26%: DIY/arts and crafts

3. Research volunteer opportunities

Take time now to look into organizations that support causes close to your heart. You may find volunteering is more—or less—demanding on your time, energy or finances than anticipated.

21% of people hope to do volunteer work in retirement.2

Benefits of volunteering6:

  • Promotes physical activity
  • Encourages better cognitive functioning
  • Contributes to longer life expectancy
  • Improves psychological well-being and mental health

Your vision of retirement may shift once you give your ideas a test drive. So the more prepared you can be for this stage of life, the better equipped your financial plan will be, too. Reach out to your financial advisor for support and suggestions.

1 Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Survey: New Generation Embraces the Golden Gap Year As They Head to Retirement

2 Transamerica Center for Retirement Sudies Retirement Survey

3 451 Alliance Retirement & Lifestyle Trends Survey: Travel & Hobbies 2023

4 Investopedia: How to Travel the World in Retirement

5 Statista.com: Most Popular Hobbies Among Retirees

6 PRB.org: Volunteering and Health for Aging Populations

Insights
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Key Ways to Think About Financial Planning

Here are some fundamental considerations when making a financial plan.
A financial plan helps you stay adaptable and agile while remaining focused on what's most important.

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