Hi Reader

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's out there!

A broken toe means that I will make sure I'm waited on hand and foot (no pun intended) today.

In this week's newsletter I've taken the fathers day theme and looked at the difference between retiring today and retiring like our fathers and our grandfathers.

I've alos had the privilege of appearing as a guest on a few shows over the last few weeks, I've included the link to my recent appearance on the Standard Life podcast Thinking Forward, it was a great conversation and I encourage you to take a listen.

I was also a guest on Professional Adviser TV talking about Behavioural Psychology in retirement planning and on one of the best podcasts globally in our industry, Brendan Frazier's The Humans Side of Money. Click the links below to take a listen in.

​Professional Adviser TV​

​The Human Side of Money Part 1 & The Human Side of Money Part 2​

And my final thing is to remind you to make sure you join the waitlist for my new book, I will be releasing it NEXT WEEK to those that sign up. Click the link below to join the waitlist

​https://www.humansvsretirement.com/book​

It's a packed edition this week so grab your coffee and I hope you enjoy...

FEATURED ARTICLE

Like Father, Like Son? Not in Retirement.

As I write this weeks article we are approaching Father’s Day and I found myself reflecting on how differently each generation of men approaches retirement. My dad’s retirement looked one way. My grandfather’s? Entirely different. And today’s retiree? Well… let’s just say it’s less “gold watch and golf club” and more “navigate the stock market, optimise tax bands, find purpose, reinvent yourself, and maybe start a podcast.”

Retirement has changed across generations, and by changed, I mean completely flipped on its head.

Because the truth is: our grandfathers, our fathers, and we modern retirees or soon-to-be retirees are playing entirely different games when it comes to our 'second half of life'.

Let’s take a quick walk down Retirement Memory Lane:

Grandad’s Retirement: The Golden Age of Certainty

Grandad’s retirement was simple. Not easy, necessarily, but simple. He worked for one company for 43 years, left with a final salary pension, a hearty send-off, and never had to think about his money again. He spent retirement tending to his garden, reading the newspaper cover to cover, and occasionally polishing his war medals. No apps. No SIPPs. No existential crisis about his “identity after work.”

When he turned 65, he got a pension that paid out like clockwork until he passed away, which statistically wasn't too long after.

Retirement for him was the reward at the end of loyal service. His biggest financial decision was whether to buy a second greenhouse. His biggest lifestyle decision was whether to plant petunias or potatoes that spring.

He didn’t worry about markets, tax wrappers, inflation, or outliving his money. He didn’t question his purpose or identity in retirement—he just was retired. Simple. Predictable. Done.

Dad’s Retirement: The Great In-Between

Dad probably had a few jobs over his career. Maybe he had a pension, maybe he didn’t. He bought a house for a bag of crisps in the ‘80s, which is now worth the GDP of a small country. He might have dabbled in ISAs, fretted about the FTSE, and still tells you to “buy property—it never goes down.” His retirement was stable-ish, but a bit uncertain. He’s still not sure what the cloud is, but he's definitely stored something in it.

The final salary pension still existed, but it was starting to get... cagey. The stock market was suddenly part of the conversation. Dad read the Money pages on a Sunday and wondered whether “this tracker fund stuff” was safe.

His retirement came with a side of uncertainty. He’d saved, but would it be enough? He retired, but did he still want to work a little? He had time, but did he know what to do with it?

He spent his working life accumulating, and now, suddenly he was expected to spend it all wisely. Trouble was, no one ever taught him how to do that.

And despite outward appearances, many dads in retirement still carry a quiet undercurrent of stress. Not about money always, but about meaning, identity and what comes next.

Our Retirement: Complexity in a Cardigan

And now? Now it’s our turn.

We're retiring into complexity. We're living longer, markets are shakier, interest rates are weirder, and retirement isn't a finish line, it's a bloody puzzle. We're stepping into a retirement that demands we be part investor, part life coach, part lifestyle designer, and part risk manager. And if we get it wrong? we could outlive our money, our purpose, or our sanity.

We have to understand tax bands, safe withdrawal rates, and the psychological impact of no longer being “useful” in the traditional sense. We’re expected to enjoy retirement, but also not overspend. Be relaxed, but purposeful. Be frugal, but make memories. We’re supposed to not run out of money, not underspend, and not feel guilty about either.

It feels less “peace of mind,” more “excel-induced panic.”

We’re told to enjoy life, make memories, travel, rest, give back, reinvent ourselves, stay fit, be social, be mindful, and be smart with money, but not too smart, or we might forget to live.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: retirement today isn’t harder because we’re weaker, it’s harder because the system changed and no one gave us a new instruction manual.

Our retirements are a whole new chapter and we have to write it ourselves.

So What’s the Point?

Our grandfathers were handed a retirement.
Our fathers had to manage one.
​We have to design one... from scratch.

That’s the brutal truth. Retirement today doesn’t just happen, it’s built. Not just financially, but emotionally, socially and purposefully.

Today’s retiree doesn’t get a ready-made plan, they get 25 to 35 years of “figure it out yourself.” And if you try to retire like Dad or Grandad, there’s a decent chance you’ll get blindsided. By inflation. By taxes. By boredom. By anxiety masked as “being careful.”

And that’s why planning matters. Not because retirement is doom and gloom, but because it’s potentially the richest, most meaningful, most joyful season of life, if you know how to do it right.

This Father’s Day…

Let’s raise a glass to the men who came before us.
Let’s thank Grandad for keeping it simple.
Let’s thank Dad for adapting to change.

But let’s also be honest: if we try to retire like they did, we might not get what they had.

But let’s also admit that retirement today is an entirely different beast.
It’s a bit trickier.
A bit longer.
A lot more confusing.

But with the right thinking and a proper plan, it can also be a hell of a lot more fulfilling.

So maybe the best Father’s Day gift isn’t socks or whisky. Maybe it’s finally sorting out that retirement plan. For yourself. For your family. For your future.

RETIREMENT RESOURCE

The Suitcase Test

This weeks resource is a worksheet I've put together to help you to fill your retirement suitcase. It will help you clarify what truly matters to you in retirement, what you want to take with you into this next chapter, and what you’re ready to leave behind.

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PODCAST

What is The Future of a Modern Retirement?

A bit of a different twist on the podcast section this week as I'm thrilled to share my guest appearance on Standard Life's podcast Thinking Forward where I sit down with Louise Doherty - Head of Marketing, Mike Ambery - Retirement Savings Director and Claire Altman - MD of Individual Retirement to talk about the more human side of retirement, what will the second half of your clients’ lives really look like? And where will providers, advisers, tech and AI fit in this? ​ Check Out The Full Conversation ->

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SKETCH OF THE WEEK

Retirement: Same Moment, Different Paths

RETIREMENT ARTICLES

What I've read this week

• The 'Second Law' of Retirement Rules - Kiplinger​
• Planning Your Retirement? ChatGPT Can help With That - Financial Times​