The theme this week on the Retirement Quick Tips Podcast is: A Phased Retirement…Is It Right For You? 

Today, I’m talking about using your crystallized intelligence effectively for a happier phased retirement. 

Now if you aren’t familiar with the term, crystallized intelligence, it’s important that you know what it is, because it has important implications for being happy in your late-working years. 

 There’s 2 types of intelligence - fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. Fluid intelligence refers to the ability to reason and think flexibly. Crystallized intelligence refers to the accumulation of knowledge, facts, and skills that are acquired throughout life.

At nearly 15 years in to my career as a financial advisor, believe it or not, I’m nearing the peak of my fluid intelligence in my career. If I stay in this career another 20 years, I will definitely start to see some noticeable declines in my fluid intelligence. 

But that’s ok, because even though fluid intelligence declines for all of us and earlier than we think, crystallized intelligence actually increases with age. Many aspects of fluid intelligence peak in adolescence and begin to decline progressively beginning around age 30 or 40. 

Jobs that require you to be at the peak of your fluid intelligence are often frustrating for older workers. As we age, we lose our edge and our ability to reason and deal with complex information. 

But that’s ok, because this other aspect of our intelligence - crystallized intelligence - continues to increase with age. The key is working in a job, especially a job later in your career - that uses your crystallized intelligence and doesn’t demand so much of what’s left of your fluid intelligence. 

Examples of this would be a manager or a supervisor, where you have the opportunity. Jobs that involve speaking and teaching or writing are also good for using your crystallized intelligence, without the frustration of fighting against the decline of your fluid intelligence. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening! My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the Retirement Quick Tips podcast. 

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Tags: retirement, investing, money, finance, financial planning, retirement planning, saving money, personal finance