A Millennial's Guide To Retirement

Imagine this: Two days after your 60th birthday, you sign off on the paperwork and hand over your company to your only daughter.

- Keshini Dunusinghe

Feeling content and at peace, you treat yourself to a relaxing oil massage, dig into a box of Ferrero Rocher, get into your matte black BMW and stop by Aldo to get a present for your granddaughter. Back home you pour yourself a glass of red wine, light a few candles and dip into the hot tub on your rooftop as you wait for the love of your life to join you.

Paints a perfect picture and takes you to cloud nine, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the good news. It doesn’t have to be a wild dream!

Ask yourself the million-dollar question: How do I make this picture a reality? How do I make sure that my life is smooth sailing and I can retire hasslefree? It takes a bit of preplanning in your twenties, but, it will be well worth the effort if you do.

Thinking about savings and retirement plans right now may seem boring and tiresome, but the key is to always be prepared. While it would be touching to have your partner or future children look after you one day post-retirement, it’s always best to be able to stand on your own, just in case. Who knows what life has in store for you. With a solid backup plan, you’ll be able to enjoy more security and comfort irrespective of what happens. Yes, you will have some monies from your Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF), but this will not be sufficient to have the kind of life you deserve to have. So, what do you do? You think ahead and allocate money for your future.

THE MAGIC WORD IS ‘SAVE’

According to Niloo Jayatilake, Head of Investments at Softlogic Holdings PLC, a woman’s financial strength has a big impact on her empowerment, and savings is the main component that determines her financial strength. Your first course of action is to understand your risk profile.

What is a risk profile?