Retire on Your Own Terms

Book excerpt: You can retire when you want to and at the income level you desire. I did exactly that at age 47. I did not be a financial guru to do that. I followed simple personal financial guidelines by taking control of my finances.Leaving your pension in the hands of others is an industrial age plan. While it is still useful, forces outside your control can leave you stranded in old age. Market conditions can negatively impact your retirement fund and deliver less than promised in the brochures. Defined benefit pension plans are no longer sustainable and are easily negatively impacted by the employer's continued ability to fund it. An employer in financial difficulties can change the rules in the middle of the game, leaving you exposed when you least expected it.If you want to retire on your own terms, you need to first of all take charge of your finances. Rather than depending on the actions of others to secure your financial future, you need to achieve financial independence and determine how much you want to be earning when you retire. This does not mean you should abandon your pension funds. It simply means you plan your future based on a plan you have control over, while your pension becomes a second layer of protection.The best way to make it happen is to take action immediately, as in yesterday.