Retirement is a funny time of life. Some people can’t wait for it, while others push it to the back of their minds, thinking they’ll plan for it later.

Until recently, many people didn’t give it much thought until they suddenly realised they wanted their retirement to be different from previous generations. They wanted it to be epic – and that takes some preparation.

Retirement means changing your whole life, so it’s important to plan ahead.Credit: Getty

Every year, about 120,000 people retire in Australia, and that number will grow as the last of the Baby Boomers decide that they want to stop working. But how do you prepare for it?

Despite what some might claim, you can’t just walk into a financial adviser’s office and expect them to “plan your retirement for you”. There’s a lot more to it. Modern retirement is packed with choices, many of which you’ve never had to navigate before.

Think about it: almost everything in your life changes during retirement. What you do with your time, where your money comes from, how you spend it, where you find fulfilment, and where you find a sense of belonging.

With so much change, it’s surprising that most conversations still only focus on financial planning. Meanwhile, your body is changing, and you have to make important choices about how to manage and proactively support........

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