Carol Marak’s Post

2 x 5 = 10 minutes each day is enough to get the important stuff done. - Enjoy Your Retirement Life. Simply Organised. ~  Start your day by taking 5 minutes to set yourself up for success. Choose your top three priorities for the day: The three tasks, appointments, or activities that you believe deserve most of your time, energy, and attention today. Write them down. ~  Finish your day by taking another 5 minutes to be honest with yourself. Where did you spend your time, energy, and attention? Did you focus on your priorities? Is there room for improvement? Is there anything you want to do differently tomorrow? Write it down.

My wife is a Nurse Practitioner and posts a helpful "Tips on Tuesday" about women's health. I figured most people could use a financial version of her "Tips on Tuesday". Here is my first tip: If you were making a road trip, you would likely put the address of your destination in the GPS or map out your route before you got started. After all, how can you expect to get there if you don't know where you're going? Planning for retirement is very similar. You should have an idea of a retirement goal (where you'd like to go), then start saving for it. There are many ways to get to your destination- some are slow and scenic, some are fast and furious, and sometimes you start on one path and have to change to a different path. And still, sometimes you have to stop and ask for directions. The hardest part is starting… If there's anything I can do to help, let me know! #tipsontuesday #finance #financialplanning #life #roadtrip

I love to go for morning runs. I imagine that I will be running or walking well into my 90's. Living that long and living well takes planning! Many of us spend more time planning our summer vacation than our retirement lives. Women I speak to often do not take the time to think about all the different influences and life events that affect them each year. As we get older there are so many things in life that pull at our time, our health and our finances. Leveraging relationships and getting knowledge about integrated and even alternative physical health, legal health and financial wellness support is one of the main resources that I bring to clients and friends alike. What if you could save time, money and future health care costs? What if your professional partners all collaborated for your benefit? It all starts with understanding your current needs and future goals, and even health needs you may have now or possibly in your future.  What are the “financial planning wellness” things that you need to know about now to increase your cash flow in retirement?  I will share the top three concerns that I often hear from my women clients and give you insight to plan for these things. Come learn all about this new way of looking at your retirement through a physical health and financial health "lenz." Save the Date and Join Me! Thursday, July 25th 3pm Eastern Time 

None of us want to admit we're going to die. But recognizing our mortality is an essential part of planning for a life in retirement. Many retirees don't spend enough because they act as if retirement isn't finite. Science shows that the fear of death often prevents us from making more rational choices. To quote my uncle, who I often refer to in my presentations on life in retirement, "Sometimes I wish there would be a clock I could set for the end of my life. If I set it now and it gave me a reading of 2,124 days, 13 hours, 25 minutes, and 14 seconds to go before the end, I would not procrastinate any more. If I was aware that every tick tock of this clock was winding my time down to zero, I might not relish those deep sixty-minute naps I am taking every afternoon, from which I awake completely disoriented. I would be painting my house. Repairing cracked caulk in the bathrooms. Attending social gatherings and musical soirees. I would be driving my Alfa Romeo Spider as fast as I could every day of the week." (from Please Enjoy Your Happiness by Paul Brinkley-Rogers). Russell James, J.D., Ph.D., CFP® has done important research on the impact of mortality salience on financial planning decisions and the techniques advisors can use to get around it.

When I say take advantage of your good health, this is what I mean ⚡️so many people think they have time, or think they can get coverage when they "need it". But when the need comes, it is so expensive it's not affordable anymore. And even more, some people are not even able to get it because they are already ill. ⚡️The younger you are, the cheaper your coverage is. Plus more time your cash value portion has to grow 📈 ⚡️the healthier you are, the cheaper your policy ⚡️Not only do you get to protect yourself and your loved ones from unforeseen circumstances, but you get to invest in the market and start investing for your retirement. ⚡️⚡️BONUS: you can add to your policy a Critical Illness portion. You get to receive money to take care of your health and allow your family the space and possibility to support you instead of scrambling around to cover the expenses. Are you ready to take advantage of your good health TODAY? 🎉

Coping with Major Life Changes: A Guide for Seniors - https://lnkd.in/dURjSyDd This article offers guidance for seniors coping with significant life changes, such as losing a loved one, retirement, illness, moving, and adjusting to financial issues. It emphasizes resilience strategies like staying connected, setting routines, practicing self-care, and seeking support from loved ones or professionals to help maintain emotional and physical well-being during these transitions. #seniorhealth #lifetransitions #mentalwellbeing #aginggracefully #emotionalresilience #evergreenclubapp #seniorstodaymagazine #seniorstoday

I'm your LinkedIn friend with benefits. That joke works better on Facebook..."connection with benefits" just doesn't have the same punchy punch. Oh well, I do what I can for comedy. All joking aside, the fact that I have health benefits is pretty cool as a self-employed person. Now, I get it, my friends from other parts of the world where healthcare is a right and not a privilege are probably scratching their heads about this post. My real point is that navigating the U.S. healthcare system and getting benefits ain't that easy when you don't have an employer intermediating it. Have you ever heard me say "Everybody Needs a Coach"? It's a mantra of mine and anytime you want to get really, really ridiculously good at something fast, get a coach. You'll never do it as well on your own...never. Fortunately, I had a coach to help me navigate the pothole filled playing field. Jim Winokur, RFC® doesn't really profit a lot from helping me sign up for affordable care, but he's a great guy and an expert at what he does and he helped me get covered. His real expertise is helping business owners and managers go from uncertain about their retirement horizon to putting a retirement date on their calendar in about 8 weeks. Check him out Jim Winokur, RFC® Thanks, Jim! #retirement #coaching #retirementcoaching #benefits

Transition from work to retirement with ease. Today, i am looking at Time. As important as health to me. To you? It's important to reflect on the value of time. Each day, we are given 86,400 seconds - a precious gift that carries no balance at the end of the day. It's a "use it or lose it" kind of deal. So, let me ask you: How do you make the most of this gift? How do you ensure that you don't waste these precious seconds that make up our lives? Let me share a story with you. Imagine you're given a beautiful bouquet of flowers. If you leave them untouched, they'll wither away and lose their beauty. But if you take the time to arrange them, put them in a vase, and enjoy their fragrance, they bring joy and beauty to your life. Time is no different. If we don't actively manage and appreciate it, it slips away from us, leaving us with regrets and missed opportunities. What do you feel about time? If you would like a chat about it, Dm I would love to hear your thoughts.(Calendly link in the comments)

Feet up, sleeping in, multiple holidays a year, you name it. That's the life business owners dream off when they sell up and retire. In fact - it's the reason why you work SO hard. So that when the fat lady sings - you can slow things down and spend more time doing the things you (really) want to do. One of my clients found themselves in a similar situation. Working their ass off their entire life - it was time to enjoy the fruits of that in abundance. However - a big stumbling block stood right in front of their dream, allustrious retirement life. Here's what that was (and how we got around it): --- PS - I know how scary it can be navigating through a business sale. It doesn't seem right to all of a sudden "stop" working, the thing you've built and done your entire life. If you've ever considered what your business is worth but aren't fully sure - it wouldn't hurt to find out some more info. In that case - send me a DM and we'll chat (no obligations or BS whatsoever).