Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Retirement
Life is good; retirement is better with a focus on economic independence.
Hey there. Welcome to this week’s episode of the Her Retirement podcast.
On Monday, July 4, here in the good ‘ole US of A, we celebrated the 246th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence (Did you know it was actually formally signed on August 2nd?).
A document in which America’s founders affirmed that each individual is endowed with inalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Of course, I added the Retirement part as I believe that life IS good, but retirement can be better, and this should be an inalienable right.
Better means different things to different people naturally, but I would venture to guess it’s some combination of wealth, health, and happiness.
I’m not sure why our founding fathers chose the word “pursuit” of happiness vs. just happiness, but we often think money alone will bring us happiness in this pursuit. It can’t (at least not beyond a certain point (see: Can Money Buy Happiness? Research Says: Yes, up to a Point (insider.com). Many of you may have already figured this out, and that’s why the Her Retirement WealthiHER, HealthiHER, HappiHER framework is so impactful because it’s not just about the money. I believe your plan for life, liberty, retirement, and the pursuit of happiness begins with a solid financial foundation and a system for building and protecting your wealth and then your health and happiness.
Building and protecting your wealth doesn’t always involve working harder, but working smarter when you’re ready is not working at all. The system you employ should protect you from recession risks, rising interest rates, crazy inflation, inevitable tax increases, and longevity. The system you employ should have strategies to help you get more and keep more of what you earn, save, and invest.
From there, you should prioritize your health and happiness (and we have resources to help you with this too). For us, happiness means knowing your why, purpose, and passions. It’s about deciding on your contributions to society and intentionally choosing your connections. After all, those connections and those relationships are the biggest determining factor of your longevity.
For many of us, retirement sort of just creeps up on us. One day we’re 25, and the next, we’re 55. Three decades later, we realize retirement is just around the corner, and little (or a lot of panics begins to settle in). Am I ready for my financial freedom date? Did I save and invest enough? Do I need more? What other risks will I face, and do I have a plan to mitigate those risks? What else should I know about retirement financially, mentally, and physically? Perhaps, you’re not even interested in “retiring” for whatever reason. But it sure would feel good to know the answers to the questions well before you retire.
For some, financial freedom may feel completely out of reach as you’re just focused on getting through today. That’s okay, but you need to keep one eye on today and one on tomorrow. You need to have a plan and an economic independence framework because tomorrow will be here sooner than you think.
At Her Retirement, we’re on a mission to help women Know More and Have More, whether that’s more wealth, health, or happiness, now and in retirement. It’s all about shifting your mindset from crisis, scarcity, and stress and shifting your focus on other people to yourself. It’s also about getting educated enough to have more informed conversations and make more informed decisions. All of which leads to living life on your terms, finding your own financial freedom and security, improving the lives of those you love, giving generously, and leaving a legacy.
Our economic independence framework gives you access to our RetireMentor coaches, proprietary process, retirement readiness software, online educational resources, and network of experts. By the way, economic independence doesn’t just rely on getting the money part right. You can’t achieve economic independence if you don’t also commit to your health and happiness.
Need further proof why focusing on a strong financial foundation and having economic independence is key to living a good life and a better retirement? Just take a look at what’s happening around us. For the last decade, we have been spoiled by the abundant stock market. Returns were great…until they weren’t. Inflation was hovering around 3% until it wasn’t. Our national debt was high before Covid, but taxes were near historic lows. Now it’s astronomically high, over $30 trillion, and taxes probably have nowhere to go but up. We may all face the challenge of building a financial foundation in a recession. What can we do?
Well, I’m putting the finishing touches on a Masterclass I’m calling, Her Recession-Proof Retirement Plan. In the class, I will share five strategies I call HEROS (Hybrid, Efficient Risk Optimized Strategies). With a focus on being Retirement Income Ready (RIR) when combined and personalized to your needs, preferences, and personality, HEROS can help diminish the impact of a recession, market volatility, inflation, and taxes. I’m also going to share my framework and my systematic approach for creating an economic independence plan for retirement you understand and have 100% confidence in.
Economic independence (and true Retirement Income Readiness) is being able to make this statement, “Neither the stock market nor the economy at large will have an irreparable impact on my money, my retirement, or my mind.”
What is the difference between Financial Freedom and Economic Independence?
Some people use the terms interchangeably. However, there is an important distinction between the two, and it’s important that you understand the difference; it will help you Know More and Have More.
According to experts, financial Freedom is actually a state of mind vs. a measure of how much money you earn or save. It’s an abundance vs. scarcity mindset with limiting beliefs. It’s replacing the “I can’t afford it” mentality with the “how can I afford it?” mentality. It’s also abandoning the idea that only “other people” achieve financial freedom. It happens when you decide that money isn’t the primary reason for doing something or the excuse for not doing something.
On the other hand, economic independence in retirement is a state of being. It’s achieved with a strategic plan focusing on risk optimization and recurring cash flow.
Retirement risk optimization is when a woman understands her opportunities and threats and designs her retirement strategy (with an expert’s help) to take on an acceptable amount of risk for growth, yet be averse to risk-taking that could cause an undesirable impact on her retirement income.
Knowing your cash flow and then building up enough cash flow to cover your living expenses is key to economic independence. Passive cash flow is even more valuable as it is income that arrives in your bank account consistently without exchanging a lot of your time for it. These sources can be investments, cash flow assets, and entrepreneurial endeavors.
I’ll cover these two concepts in the Her Recession-Proof Retirement Plan masterclass. Economic Independence and Financial Freedom are both desirable states, but both do require your commitment and consistency. However, the best news is, they shouldn’t cost you anything. Anyone can create a financial freedom mindset. This may require an attitude adjustment, rethinking, and behavior modification, but you can learn new mindset habits to get you to this state of mind faster. I’ll cover this in my masterclass too.
Anyone can also work toward their economic independence. It’s all about priorities, patience, consistency, and a proven framework to get you there. Fortune does indeed favor the smart, the patient, the strong, and the action takers. Neither financial freedom nor economic independence happens overnight. Financial freedom can happen as soon as one develops their mindset. Economic independence takes time – time to plan, implement, and allow the strategies to work.
Her Retirement can give you the education, tools, and guidance to help you reach your financial freedom and economic independence sooner than you may have thought possible. Her Retirement can help you weather the storm of a possible recession and prepare you for a better retirement. The Masterclass will help you access and address your financial gaps, risks and opportunities. Best of all, you’ll have a framework for living a wealthiHER, healthiHER and happiHER retirement. If you’re interested in pre-registering for my masterclass, visit Recession Masterclass Pre Reg – Her Retirement.
I know the 4th of July has passed, but this is a week to celebrate our independence. It is true what our forefathers said, “We all have inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, and I agree we all have the right to a better retirement. I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July.
Here’s to Knowing More & Having More and Getting Her Done. And if you’d like more information about my masterclass, please email me at lynnt@herretirement.com or go to Recession Masterclass Pre Reg – Her Retirement.