Saying goodbye to your 9-to-5 may also feel like you’re saying goodbye to a piece of yourself.

Mark and Tracy were raised in working-class families that never talked about money. At ages of 63 and 56, the two college-educated software engineers were enjoying the life they had worked hard for. But even without kids, the first-generation success stories had not saved as much as they had hoped.

Retirement marks a new exciting chapter of life. One that should be filled with the things that you love and value; whether that be sampling the cuisine of a foreign country or playing board games in the garden with family.

No matter who you are, retirement is a big deal. Planning for retirement can take up a lot of time, and that means it’s important to approach it in the right way.

By now, you’ve probably either read one of Marie Kondo’s books or watched her show “Tidying Up” on Netflix. Kondo’s philosophy is that a cluttered household also clutters your mind. This principle of ridding of items that no longer serve you in order to maximize happiness should also be applied to your personal retirement plan.

When thinking about retirement, where you plan to live is a big factor. There’s a lot to consider when picking the place you want to live after retirement. Depending on your lifestyle, you may consider living abroad. Retiree’s who are interested in living abroad have a lot more factors to take into account, such as healthcare, transportation and language. Here are some important issues to think about before you make the move abroad:

If you’ve looked at your car insurance bill recently and noticed that the cost of your insurance has increased, you may be wondering what you did to cause it. We’ve compiled a list of the 13 factors that insurance companies take into account to determine how much your insurance should cost, and what you can do to lower your costs.

Education is an investment that can push you or a family member toward obtaining an advanced degree and a successful future. If you’re stashing cash away in a 529 college savings plan, it’s important to create a strategy that helps you grow your investment, meet your long-term goals and eliminate the temptation to steal from your financial future.

How can you protect your 529 college savings plan from impulse buys?

Sometimes you may find yourself on vacation in a place you really love. Something about the atmosphere or the idea really appeals to you and you find yourself wondering about getting a timeshare. Or maybe you got a discount at a hotel as long as you sit through their hour long timeshare pitch. Either way, getting a timeshare may seem like something you might be willing to do. We’ve put together a list of 6 things you have to know before you consider purchasing a timeshare.

By: Lucille Rosetti (l_rosetti@thebereaved.org)