I have always found the pastoral life calming.
My dream as a young man was to retire to a cattle ranch. I would fantasize about sitting down to the table for a meal of fresh, corn fed steak and baked potato dripping in homemade butter.
I never considered that before I could have that meal, I would have to learn how to mend fences, brand cattle and milk cows. There are probably many other new skills that I would have to learn just to be able to watch a cow peacefully graze in a field.
ADJUST RETIREMENT DREAMS
It is no wonder that my retirement dreams have changed a bit. I appreciate what the rancher does to provide me with a good steak but I am not willing to learn all the skills necessary to be a successful cattle rancher.
My wife’s dream is to run a rescue shelter for unwanted dogs and to operate a Christmas tree farm. I guess that is something I need to look at more closely.
Planning for retirement can be very frustrating. Things that we think we already know can be very different. I thought retiring to the country to live the rural life on a cattle ranch would be peaceful and calm. I had no idea of how much work was involved in raising beef.
As I have gotten older I have learned that there is an addendum to the old proverb, “If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” I want to add to that “Before you can do something right, you need to learn the right way to do something.”
ADJUST PREJUDICES
In my career I have worked with those who refuse to make any decisions and those who refused to listen to anyone. I thought only teenagers and politicians knew everything there was to know about everything.
Unfortunately, I have met many adults in my life that failed to grow out of their arrogant teenage phase and are not politicians. For some reason, there are many adults who think they know everything required about insurance.
I can’t get too offended. Often these same adults feel they know everything about the law and accounting as well. They refuse to consult a professional for legal, tax or insurance requirements. They trust in their own knowledge and opinions for their own needs.
If you are one of them, you probably did not even read this far. If you did, there is a good chance that you realize that while you may be very good at what you do, others can be just as good in the areas in which they have elected to specialize.
Ironically, my area of specialization is with the insurance needs of people during retirement. Most of what you have learned about insurance during your career to now will change completely when you retire.
INSURANCE RETIREMENT PLANNING
When you retire, everything you have previously learned about insurance will change. Start now learning about the 9 areas that you will need to understand when you retire.
- Picking An Insurance Agent
- Legal Needs During Retirement
- Long Term Care Insurance
- Medicare
- Medicare Supplement
- Medicare Advantage
- Medicare D
- Life Insurance During Retirement
- Using Annuities During Retirement
Tim Barnes, CLU is dually licensed both as an insurance agent and Insurance Counselor in Texas. He acts only as an insurance agent in other states. You can read his bio and see his credentials on the LEARN ABOUT TIB TIPS page.
If you do not already have an insurance agent that you trust, we would like to apply for the job. Use the ASK TIB tab to contact us or call us at (832) 767-8059.
To subscribe to our newsletter, click the button below.
The Insurance Barn 
Leave a comment