Your Survival Guy’s Not a Psychologist, But…

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Your Survival Guy’s not a psychologist, but I do know a thing or two about the emotions of investing.

You hear plenty about not drawing more than a certain percentage of your money each year.

You hear plenty about getting to a certain number where you’ll feel comfortable calling it quits from your job.

You also hear about getting the right amount of sleep. Is it eight hours, or can some get by with less?

It’s all pretty stressful.

You all know that life’s bad events are stressful. But you also know that even life’s so-called “good” events can be hard (having just rounded the “holidays” corner). But why do you have to worry about the good ones, too? It doesn’t seem fair. What I know for a fact from my conversations with you is that retirement is exactly what studies show: one of the most stressful events in life.

It’s supposed to be fun, right?

Allow me to explain. You’re retired. You’re free. Imagine yourself sitting on a beach, sipping a boat drink, raising a finger to replenish your chalice, knowing you no longer have to work tomorrow. All is good. Then it hits you. The flight’s been canceled, your house lost power from the storm, a pipe burst, and the house is flooded. “I thought you turned the water off,” you hear.

A month later, when the credit card bill arrives, you sit and stare and wonder, “Self, how am I going to support this lifestyle when everything is getting more expensive?

Listen, I know what you’re going through because you tell me. We talk about your life. I hear what makes you tick and why you do what you do. We’re all pretty good at saving by this point in life. If you’re not, you’re on the wrong website. You save and save and save. Nice. But when it comes to “spend baby spend,” that’s not so easy, or it’s too easy. Hence the stress. And don’t blame the spending on your spouse. This is a partnership. (The skiing out west is setting up nicely, though, so plan that trip).

Retirement is stressful because it’s more than the loss of a paycheck. It’s also a busy time. Life doesn’t get less busy in retirement. Once everyone knows you’re free, your time becomes theirs. The next thing you know, you haven’t looked at your investments in a while, and someone tells you how they’re doing, and your mind starts spinning. That’s where it can get tricky because reading the news and watching CNBC can do more harm than good.

Action Line: When you seek investment counsel, it’s not always about beating the market. It’s about not beating yourself. When you’re ready to tackle one of life’s most stressful events, let me know. I believe in you.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.

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