#88 – “Retirement Wisdom”

This is a review of an interesting retirement-centric website, one with several useful tools for those approaching retirement, or who have recently reached this stage of life.

The website is retirementwisdom.com

While it’s a well-put-together site, keep in mind that this is just an entry portal to a company with a wide variety of tools….and not just retirement tools. The company offers guidance/assistance to anyone looking to transition from their current profession and/or lifestyle (these days “transition” can mean a whole lot of different things- we’re not talking anything biological here….). The premise is that it’s easy to determine what you’re retiring from, but are you clear as to what you’re retiring to? The business tools are designed “…to clarify your vision of your future, explore options….things like structure, purpose, social connectivity, and identity. So you can move forward to the retirement you want with clarity and confidence.”

The website highlights Joe Casey as someone who retired early from working in Human Resources for a major US firm and started an executive coaching business. I believe he founded Retirement Wisdom, perhaps with someone else. The “About Us” section is not clear.

It’s probably best to just list some of their tools and let you decide whether to check them out or not:

  • If I were the owner of the business, I’d want someone to highlight the podcast first. Their Retirement Wisdom Podcast has seven seasons of audio episodes, roughly 20-45 minutes long, covering scores of considerations as one approaches retirement. Be assured you’ll find aspects you’ve never thought of before. Their certified coaches are also guest speakers on a number of other retirement-theme podcasts.
  • The company has seven different introductory venues:
    • You can listen to their three-minute intro video
    • Order a free e-booklet, “7 Traps in Planning for Life in Retirement – And How You Can Avoid Them”
    • There’s a “Ready to Retire Quiz” if you’re not sure!
    • Their Retirement Wisdom blog: https://www.retirementwisdom.com/the-retirement-wisdom-blog/
    • Sign up for their free monthly newsletter
    • Schedule a free call with one of their certified retirement coaches
    • You can request to join their Retirement Wisdom (virtual) Community
  • They offer four formal programs:
    • “Tiny Habits” – One-on-one coaching to help “create strong morning routines, habits and the behaviors that help you invest your time wisely. Build healthy habits to enhance your wellness, fitness and satisfaction.”
    • “Design Your Life” – Designed to help you take an initial wide-angle lens approach to shaping this next stage of life and to “Develop clarity on what really energizes/engages you and what doesn’t.” This program can lead you towards designing a portfolio of activities with meaning and purpose.
      • Or are you really for retirement? Their coaches can also help plan for a second career, semi-retirement, starting one’s own business, or go in a different direction.
    • “Retirement” – Retire into something, something that has purpose, goals, and structure.
    • “Forced to Retire Early?” – How to find that next open door- the one that’s right for you.
  • You can become a certified retirement coach. The business offers avenues for training to become a retirement coach. 
  • Finally, the website highlights a nice selection of books for those approaching retirement, or are already there, such as :
    • The Big 100 – Super Aging (See my blog post #86 on Blue Zones)
    • Retirement Activism: How Seniors are Saving the World
    • Purposeful Retirement
    • (I’ll add a book to their list, one that I just finished reading: Richer, Wiser, Happier by William Green)

Of course there are dozens of “approaching retirement” websites out there. This one appears to have been around for a while, and impressed me with its professional, well-thought-out format, content, style, “actionable” options. You be the judge….