Early Retirement Blog

Today marks one year for Green Retirement Planning.  Green Retirement’s one year birthday also coincides with the worst economic news and outlook since the Great Depression.  It’s no accident. I knew when I started developing Green Retirement, that it would be needed not only  to save the planet, it was also going to be needed to save Americans their retirements.

I am re-printing the first article I wrote for Green Retirement Planning, from exactly one year ago October 2, 2007, that warns people to hurry up and retire.  The same advice applies today.

Retire Now or Never

If you are planning to retire within five years, you may not want to wait, now may be your best opportunity to retire. Why? For many Americans, home equity and stocks, make up the majority of their net worth. Home prices are declining, and many economists as well individual Americans, are predicting a recession and a lower stock market.

Your net worth at retirement, will determine how much you can spend in retirement, for the rest of your life. Even with additional savings, a declining home and stock market, may leave you with less money when your retirement date arrives. You may be wealthier now, than at any point within the next five years, or perhaps ever again.

Risking Retirement

This is not an attempt to scare you, or even predict what will happen in the future, but to point out something called “Opportunity Risk”. You may have heard of “Opportunity Cost”, that is the cost of choosing one opportunity over another, opportunity risk is the probability of missing an opportunity. If you have the opportunity to retire now, by waiting and not retiring now, you risk not being able to retire later. Or retiring with a lower net worth.

Only you can make that risk determination. Everyone’s situation is different. However, if after doing an individual risk assesment, you believe that there is a greater risk of a lower economy, and that your net worth may significantly decline within your retirement horizon, you should get serious and develop a retirement plan.

Retirement Wealth

Are you wealthy enough to retire now? Do you know? Do you currently have enough savings to pay for your retirement? These are questions that a retirement plan should answer. You may find out, after retirement planning, that you have sufficient wealth to retire now.

In fact, using the April 2007 U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Household Net Worth, and the formulas and priniciples behind iPlan Retirement, it is estimated that 15 million American households are in a position to retire right now.

iPlan Retirement uses conservation, as opposed to the retirement industry method of consumption, to calculate retirement. This enables people to retire earlier, save hundreds of thousands of dollars, and enjoy a secure retirement. Learn more about our Retirement Planning Services .

In life, opportunities come and go, your retirement is one opportunity you don’t want to miss.

end of article.

It’s also no accident that, I launched Green Retirement Planning on October 2nd, that is my tribute to my father, who was born on this day in 1930 (the year the Great Depression started).  Much of the wisdom I share with you, I am passing on from my father,  Happy Birthday Dad!

Visit Green Retirement Planning and learn how you can retire with less savings.