Retirement is a Long-Term Investment

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For many, the idea of reaching retirement age indicates that you're entering a new phase of life. This makes a certain amount of sense, considering that retirement is often marked by leaving the workforce after decades of putting in long hours at that nine-to-five job. You might think of retirement as crossing the threshold into the next step of your life, but it's so much more than that. In fact, retirement is instead an incredible opportunity to invest in your health and happiness. 

The truth is that retirement doesn't mean you're wrapping up life as you know it and preparing to fade into obscurity. Your retirement years can and should be the absolute best time of your life, a period where you can enjoy anything and everything you might not have been able to while you were younger. Working a full-time job, in addition to possibly helping raise a family as well, may have left you little time for yourself. Retirement makes all this possible. Here's why you deserve to invest in yourself.

People approaching retirement age often have lots of financial concerns. They worry if they've planned enough by putting money into retirement savings so that they'll be able to live comfortably once they stop working. Social Security alone may not be enough, so it's only prudent to invest in an IRA, a 401(k), or anything else that can help you manage the costs of retirement. 

Yet many retirees, or those soon retiring, don't realize they may have a nest egg that's just waiting to be accessed right under their feet. The home you've been living in for decades is an incredible resource for any retiree. You can easily put your existing property up for sale to access the built-up equity in your house and then use the proceeds of the sale to downsize to a smaller, more modestly-priced home — and that means the rest of your equity goes right into your savings. Suddenly, your retirement looks a lot brighter now that you've got more resources at your disposal! 

Selling your existing home might not be the first thing you want to do once you retire. You've got a lifetime of memories built up in your home and that's hard to walk away from no matter how much money you might get for it if you put it up on the market. Besides, where would you even go with all that equity? And how does going through the stress of moving somewhere else help you invest in your own health and happiness?

Saying goodbye to your old home means fewer headaches for you in a number of ways. You no longer have to deal with paying property taxes, for one, and that's a huge hassle off your shoulders. Also, paying to heat and cool a large home, plus keeping the lights on, adds up. Factor in things like lawn maintenance, trash removal, and the inevitable cost and inconvenience of having to replace an old, leaky roof or a broken boiler, and it's a wonder more retirees don't leave their old homes and never look back! 

Offloading your old home, no matter how much you might have loved living there, offers you the kind of freedom and independence you need to truly enjoy your retirement to the fullest. You still need somewhere to live, though – and moving to purchase a different home, even a smaller one that's less expensive to manage, is putting you back into the situation you were trying to escape. So, where do you go? 

Are you looking for a place that offers you a comfortable place to live, is incredibly affordable when compared to owning your own property, and doesn't require you to handle maintenance and repair issues personally? How about a place that offers a resort-like setting, filled with indoor and outdoor amenities that you can enjoy? It might sound like a dream, but it's not — it's a modern retirement community. 

Modern retirement communities offer you the best option if you're looking to make the most out of your retirement years. The cost of living in a retirement community, over the long term, can be highly affordable when compared to all the costs that you'll accrue while aging in place in your current home. Not to mention that you can't access the equity in your home if you're still living there. But that's not all retirement communities offer. 

Being retired means finally having opportunities to do everything you've always wanted. Want to focus on your physical fitness? Retirement communities have gorgeous walking trails, swimming pools, and fitness centers for you to enjoy. Want to work on hobbies? Learn to paint, draw, sculpt or even woodwork thanks to art and craft studios, complete with instructors. Looking to socialize? Clubhouses, card and game rooms, performing arts centers and other great opportunities abound. 

Retirement should be the greatest time of your life. The world is suddenly your oyster, and you've got all the time you want to devote to the most important thing in it — you! You've earned some time to devote to yourself, and the best way to leverage that time is by moving to the retirement community of your choice.

Want more information about financial planning for or in retirement? Check out these articles by Acts Retirement-Life Communities:

• Financial Planning Advice for Seniors
• How Much Do Retirement Homes Cost?
• The Financial Benefits of a CCRC
• How to Apply for, and Start Collecting, Social Security

By Acts Retirement-Life Communities

Acts Retirement-Life Communities is the largest not-for-profit owner, operator and developer of continuing care retirement communities in the United States. Headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, Acts has a family of 23 retirement communities that serve approximately 8,500 residents and employ 6,200 in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida. For more information about Acts visit actsretirement.org.