Most people worry about running out of money in retirement. But for many careful savers, the bigger risk is the opposite: reaching the end of life having never spent what you worked so hard to build. In this episode, Joe explains why the habits that made you a great saver can quietly stop you from enjoying your retirement income, and what it actually takes to give yourself permission to spend.
Joe talks about a pattern he sees constantly with clients: disciplined savers who reach retirement financially secure, but who can't switch off the saving instinct that got them there. He walks through why "you'll be okay" isn't enough reassurance for a careful saver, what a real retirement plan needs to show to actually change behaviour, and how seeing a stress-tested plan is different from just being told everything will work out. This one is for anyone who has done the saving well but is struggling to enjoy the results.
In this episode:
- Why running out of money is often not the biggest risk for disciplined savers, and underspending can be just as costly
- How decades of saving habits can persist into retirement even after they've stopped being useful
- Why vague reassurance from an advisor rarely changes a saver's behaviour, and what actually does
- What a real retirement plan should show you, including how it holds up to a market drop, higher inflation, or a long-term care need
- Why seeing a plan and stress-testing it is the first step, but genuinely owning it is what allows you to spend with confidence
About the show:
Your Retirement Planning Simplified is a weekly Canadian retirement planning podcast hosted by Joe Curry, CFP, CEPA, of Matthews and Associates, an independent wealth management firm. Each week, Joe breaks down retirement income, tax, and estate decisions in plain language for Canadians who are near or in retirement.
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Disclaimer:
Opinions expressed are those of Joseph Curry, a registrant of Aligned Capital Partners Inc. (ACPI), and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. This podcast is for informational purposes only and not intended to be personalized investment advice. The views expressed are opinions of Joseph Curry and may not necessarily be those of ACPI. Content is prepared for general circulation and information contained does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any investment fund, security or other product or service.