The 4 Phases of Retirement: Advice All Retirees Need To Hear (With Dr. Riley Moynes)

I call shenanigans, while I have only been retired a short while I feel these phases are only applicable to people who were wholly defined by their jobs. I was good at my job, and enjoyed parts of it, but I never wanted to work...just worked to pay the bills. Now that I can pay the bills without working I can live my life how I see fit. I have never been bored in my life except at work. Working in my garden, reading a book or traveling to places I never had time for are so satisfying.

I worked for 30 years. I didn’t worry about the phases of work life. I just got the job done. Retirement is absolutely fantastic so far, and I’m not obsessing about what phase I’m in or what phase is coming. Just enjoy time freedom!

Fishing, playing chess at the local club, golfing, taking care of grandkids, looking after my 4 dogs, walks with my wife, cooking and teaching math at my community centre. I did not retire yet but I am ready for phase 3.

My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to pay off our mortgage early. We were both still working, and took the payment amount that we had been using to pay off our mortgage faster and we put it straight into investments. We were able to retire early because of almost 7 years of putting away what would have been our mortgage payment as well as maxing out our 401K/403B plans. Thankfully we were taught by both of our parents the value of living within our means.

Best thing about retirement=afternoon naps.

Oh please.....this is not true for everyone. I retired in 2016 with a very low income. I had planned for this and am set up in affordable housing and getting along just fine. I did go on a couple of roadtrips across Canada right away. Then came home and volunteered and got involved in my little community. Ended up busier than when I worked! Hated it. Luckily (lol) covid came along and shut everything down. Then realized that I don't need to do my retirement the way people say that I "should!" Am totally enjoying my laid-back retirement. One or two roadtrips a year, lots of camping and hiking, walks with the dog, lots of time to workout....very few social commitments and lots of time to spend with kids and grandkids. This is my perfect retirement. I wake up happy each day.

The best thing you can do at retirement is take care of your health by doing good weight bearing workouts to prevent loss of bone density that always happens with age. Thank you for your great work Adam 😊

I do retirement my way. I am 12 years in and I am breathing easy every day all day. I don’t need a guide or a road map for living. It’s living according to me.

I retired 21 days ago...so far, so good!

I think everyone is different. Some are going to get bored of the go=go phase really quickly and others are going to embrace it with health and finances being the only obstacle. I think their has to be a balance between the 4 stages where you are preparing yourself for each phase. I think the slow-go is probably going to be the most challenging and you need to think carefully about what that is going to look like for you. I have many interests and I think it would be almost impossible for me to be bored

My wife and I retired 4 years ago at 56, right before Covid hit. We had actually been planning it for a few years, so we knew what we were going to do. No phase 1 or 2, phases 3 and 4 were intertwined for a year or so. Now fully in phase 4, and happier than ever.

The working class has been trained for generations to work and then die.

Best "retirement phase" overview I've see -- thanks for doing this Adam & Dr. Moynes.

Everyone is different. I retired four years ago, and have never felt bored or anything that was described in that video. Never felt unhappy or that I lost an "identity". I don't need to analyze my free time, categorize it into "phases," and start another routine. My work time is over. I'm free to live as I wish. Each day now is a new and different experience in itself.

A very informative video to help navigate this new phase of life. Thank you!

Great video. Retirement still around 20 years off for me, and this gives me lots to think about and prepare for.

I’ve been retired 9 1/2 years now and I have to tell everyone watching this that haven’t retired yet to take this with a grain of salt. I’ve never felt a loss of purpose or a need to volunteer. In fact, after working for 42 years and retiring at age 60, the last thing I want is another thing in my life that demands I be somewhere at a certain date and time. I worked hard to be able to not be anywhere and not do anything that I don’t want. Family, no responsibilities and total absolute freedom make retirement the best time of my life. Don’t ask me to help you move this weekend, I’ve got plans to do nothing while sipping a homemade frozen pina’ colada while relaxing in my pool.

Lovely interview! Thanks Adam!!!

Thank you for this Adam. I have been following you for quite a while now and of course with you being a financial expert you have amazing insight with a lot of great ideas and advice. I am so happy to see you also share this side so thank you so much. My money won't help much on the day I wake up and feel lost, lonely, and miserable. All these tips give lots to think about and plan for, so those days won't feel so bad knowing I have a plan in place!

Thanks for this, and such an interesting watch. As someone looking to retire in a month at 42, this gives me a lot of food for thought on the bigger picture.