If you are in your 40s, 50s, or 60s, you may want to find the source of youth and be ready to retire as happily as a child. But when you plan your own golden year, it’s best to retire like an adult, that is: responsibly and with a written plan that can sustain your money.
The Merriam Webster dictionary adds “adult” as a verb, not just a noun for 2023. Here is the definition: “The behavior to 'adult' is like an adult, especially what to do – usually ordinary, something that adults will do.”
Being an adult means being responsible, reliable, self-sufficient, and maybe even know when it’s a good time to put these rules out. Examples of “adults” include: Clean yourself up, pay your bills on time, we want to add – Plan for retirement.
After an adult leaves his or her career, create, maintain and fully understand the funding program. Here are 10 ways to know if you have a reliable plan to retire like an adult:
1. You have a dream and a purpose
Without a plan for living after retirement, many retirees find themselves feeling vague and uneasy. You may feel something similar to teenage anxiety – craving more, but don't know what that might be.
Focusing on the financial aspect of retirement is important, but the personal aspect of the retirement plan is even more critical and ultimately guides you on how to use your retirement assets.
Explore these resources to find retirement jobs:
Make sure your retirement plan is responsible, reliable, self-sufficient and sometimes breaks down!
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2. You know your phone number
How much savings do you actually need to retire comfortably? Your “number” is not only a guess, but even a quick calculation, it is based on:
- The way you expect life, habits and necessary expenses (and how they will change over time – here are 9 tips for predicting retirement costs)
- Sources of expected income (and how these incomes change over time)
- Assumptions about asset appreciation, inflation, your life span and more (and predict possible outcomes of those known unknowns)
Your phone number is different from someone else's. Retirement can be achieved with social security alone, and many people struggle to make ends meet, even with $1 million or more of savings can run out of funds.
Use Boldin Financial Planner, Retirement Planning Software to accurately calculate your phone number.
3. you Understand your chances of success in retirement
It’s nice to know your phone number, but what really matters is having confidence in your plan. As long as you live, can you meet your needs? Can you run out of money from the 80s or 90s?
This is Boldin's chance to score successfully. This is a simple but powerful metric that uses complex Monte Carlo analysis to show that your retirement plan will be far away.
Think of it as a financial weather forecast – if you have a high score, you can retire with confidence. If it's low, you'll get clear, actionable insights on how to improve it, whether it's working a few years longer, adjusting spending or rethinking your investment strategy.
IIt has nothing to do with fear, it is about clarity. Understanding your chances of success can help you keep your eyes open and make informed adult decisions. Because a real retirement plan not only hopes for the best thing, it also plans.
4. You think about income rather than assets
It is useful to know how much you need to save, but thinking from income (not just assets) is the key to a safe retirement.
This means balancing guaranteed income (such as Social Security, pensions and annuities) and flexible income withdrawn from investments, dividends and other savings, part-time jobs or rental properties.
- Ideally, you guarantee income to pay basic expenses, which can provide stability no matter what the market does. It provides the basis for your basic needs to ensure peace of mind.
- Flexible income allows you to adjust your lifestyle choices, unexpected costs and opportunities. It allows you to travel freely, pursue hobbies or adapt to changing environments.
A strong retirement plan ensures that you have the right combination of both so you can spend confidently without worrying about market fluctuations or exceeding your money.
Instead of obsessed with magic saving numbers, you can focus on what really matters: Stay independent, enjoy life and make informed decisions to ensure your retirement is safe. Want to know more? Here are 18 different retirement income strategies.
And, you plan to extract it carefully
Withdrawing from savings is an important part of most retirement plans.
Unlike regular salary, your retirement income usually comes from a mixture of investment, savings and guaranteed sources and withdrawing from it at the wrong order or in the wrong time can lead to unnecessary taxes, missed growth opportunities, and maybe even prematurely making money. Factors like market performance, inflation, health care costs, and the minimum allocation (RMD) required are all about how and when you take the money out.
A thoughtful withdrawal strategy can balance your spending needs, savings sustainability and tax bills.
Boldin retirement planners can easily understand how much retirement income you will earn each year. And, you can run different programs to determine the best retirement withdrawal strategies that meet your needs and values.
5. You paid off your high interest debt
One of the biggest threats to retire today may not be less savings, but the losses owed are too much.
Consumer debt has been at its highest level after real progress on debt during the pandemic. In the fourth quarter of 2024, total household debt rose to $18.036 trillion, according to Fed data. Moreover, the share of current debt transition to violations for almost all debt types has increased.
The most adult way to deal with debt is to pay off the debt before exiting the job. However, this is not always possible, and taking on some mortgage debt (at low interest rates) may be better than paying off. explore:
6. You've planned for inflation
Inflation is still high now, and you may feel smart about the now infamous “cost of eggs.”
High inflation can have a devastating impact on your ability to spend your retirement. As Sam Ewing said:
“Inflation is when you pay $15 for a hairstyle that used to pay $10 for a five-dollar hairstyle. ”
Sam Ewing
As you work, your salary usually goes up as the cost of goods and services increases. Your income is “stayed in sync with inflation”, so normal inflation is usually not as big as retirement. In retirement, inflation does deprive you of your income when you save on the remaining money.
For example: After retirement, you need some way to get your savings out of inflation. If the inflation rate is 5% and your return on investment is 5%, then your financial situation is flat. You have not lost money, but you are not leading either.
The good news is that Social Security and certain pension plans adjust your inflation income. The bad news is that if you retire by exiting investment or savings, the value of your funds will drastically decrease over time. You will need more money to support your lifestyle.
Retirement like an adult means bringing your financial knowledge to the next stage and recognizing when the right tools can make everything change. You understand the fundamentals: budget, investment, taxes, risks, and the importance of cash flow. However, retirement adds new complexity, from figuring out the best evacuation strategy to balancing guaranteed and flexible income.
This is where Boldin comes from. It’s not about handing over control, it’s about having a clear, personalized view of finances so that you can make smarter, more confident decisions. With Boldin, you can test different situations, track income plans and adapt as your life changes – because being proficient in financials at retirement doesn’t stop; it’s just developing.
8. You're ready to pay for your medical expenses
Medicare is not free, and out-of-pocket expenses in retirement can be shocking. From premiums and prescriptions to deductibles and dentistry, these costs quickly add up before taking into account potential long-term care needs. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), supplemental insurance and long-term care plans are key tools to protect your health and finances. Long-term care in particular is one of the biggest financial risks facing retirees until it is too late and it is often overlooked. No one likes to think about this, but responsible adults do it – because planning ahead means more control, more choices, and less stress for you and your loved ones.
9. You have a potential risk plan
We cannot predict the future. However, an adult retirement plan is a plan to mitigate the potentially harmful financial impact of long-term health events, natural disasters, car accidents, stock market crashes or some other unknown future event.
Have the right insurance products and a dedicated emergency fund to protect you.
Explore everything that can go wrong.
10. You can develop your asset allocation
Retirement investment is not about getting the highest return. A responsible retirement investment plan is in line with how and when you need funds to meet your growth and security needs.
And, just because you are retired doesn’t mean your investment strategy is built on stone. In fact, adjusting asset allocation over time is a clever, adult move that helps balance growth, income and risk throughout retirement. Early on, you might need a more growth-oriented blend to keep up with inflation and support longer time frames. As you get older, gradually moving to more conservative investments can help protect your income and retain capital. The key is flexibility – understand your needs, risk tolerance and market conditions will change, and your portfolio should change with it. t
As we age, our tolerance for investment risks has decreased. And, while you want savings to grow (or at least not lose value), you may need to turn to safer investments that may give you a lower rate of return.
Create the correct asset allocation you How it needs to change now and throughout retirement is not easy. You need to understand personal risk tolerance, macroeconomic factors and investment time frame.
Can do it yourself. However, working with financial advisors with deep expertise is also useful in developing plans for balanced growth.
Boldin provides trust advice from the independent fee certified Financial Planner™. Consultation is via phone or video call.
11. You are ready to actively track and develop your financial plan
Retirement like an adult doesn’t mean making your plan and forgetting it, it means staying interactive and adapting as life progresses. Market changes, cost transfers, target developments and unexpected events occur. A solid retirement plan is not static. This is a life framework that requires regular inspection and thoughtful adjustments. Tracking your income, spending, investments, and risks can help you stay in control and make informed decisions, not emotional decisions.
Tools like Boldin make it easier to see your position, test different scenarios, and adjust strategies with clarity and confidence. Because the most successful retirees are not only ready on the first day – they continue to plan, constantly evolve and make smart moves pass.
Evaluate your plan at least quarterly
Retirement plans are not something you have ever done and will never consider them again.
When you retire like an adult, you need to maintain, update and adjust the plan. It is best to introduce it at least once a quarter and update it as you and the economy changes.
Since it saves your information, Boldin retirement planners can easily make changes and check your plans.
Updated: March 2025
