Hi Reader

I hope I find you and your families safe and well. I'm super excited to bring you this weeks Retirement Fix.

I have to say that I'm bursting at the seams with excitement about some of the work I've been doing over the last few months.

• Great 1-2-1 retirement planning work with a number of wonderful new people
• My book manuscript is currently being professionally edited!
• Some brilliant new podcast conversations have been recorded
• Guest appearances on some amazing podcasts
• Some very big companies wanting to engage me to enhance the human side of retirement in their services and offerings

I feel like the need to fully recognise the human side of retirement is gathering pace and I can't wait to see where it goes and bring you the outcomes of this work over the months ahead... I know its going to add loads of value to your retirement plans.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Why Numbers Won’t Make You Feel Safe

We love numbers. They’re clean, precise and reassuring. They sit neatly in spreadsheets and Monte Carlo simulations, dressed up like they know the future.

And if you’ve ever found yourself thinking,

Let’s be honest, most people don’t want money, They want what they think money will bring: Security. Freedom. Peace of mind. The ability to sleep at night without running mental spreadsheets at 3:07 a.m.

But here’s the rub: Numbers can’t give you that.

Not alone, anyway.

The Great Disappearing Act

In retirement planning, we do this magician’s trick: We turn emotions, like fear, uncertainty, or hope, into numbers on a page.

All very useful.

All utterly incapable of making you feel safe.

Why? Because security isn’t a number, it’s a feeling and feelings are tricky. They don’t read charts.

The Real Danger of this Illusion

The problem with relying too heavily on numbers is that it gives you the illusion of control in a world where control is, frankly, optional.

Markets don’t care about your spreadsheet.

Inflation didn’t read your retirement projections.

And the tax man? He’s just warming up.

So we keep chasing bigger numbers, more savings, more guarantees, more ‘safety.’ But it’s like putting more locks on a glass door. The illusion of safety isn’t the same as the experience of it.

So What Does Help You Feel Safe?

Here’s what I’ve seen, time and again:

1. Clarity over Control You don’t need to predict everything. But you do need to understand how your plan flexes when life does.

2. Guardrails, not Guarantees Use a strategy that adapts to change, like income guardrails or flexible spending rules, so you can course correct instead of panic.

3. Purpose Over Perfection Know what your money is for. If you’re just hoarding it to feel okay, no number will ever be big enough.

4. Conversations > Calculations Seriously. Talk to someone. A good adviser, a wise friend, a partner who won’t let you buy a motorhome “just to feel something again.”

5. Practice Feeling Safe This one sounds odd, but try spending money on purpose. Treat safety as a skill, one you build by living inside your plan, not just staring at it.

The Real Measure of Retirement

It’s not how much you’ve got in your pension, it’s whether you can live a life that feels rich, purposeful, and resilient—even when things don’t go to plan.

Because real safety doesn’t come from numbers. It comes from knowing you can handle whatever the numbers throw at you.

And that’s a retirement worth planning for.

This Week’s Takeaways

• Stop chasing safety through spreadsheets. Numbers are a tool, not a promise.
• Build a plan that adjusts. Flexibility will serve you better than false certainty.
• Spend with intention. Feeling secure comes from living your plan, not just designing it.
• Have the real conversations. They matter more than your asset allocation.

Until next week, Live wisely. Spend boldly.

RETIREMENT RESOURCE

The Identity Plan Worksheet

This weeks resource is a worksheet I've put together to help you start to think about your identity in your retirement.

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PODCAST

What Will I Do All Day?

In this episode of Humans vs Retirement, I’m joined by organisational psychologist and retirement readiness expert Patrice Jenkins to tackle the question so many new retirees ask: What will I do all day? We explore the hidden emotional and social shifts of retirement and how to prepare for life beyond the job title. Check Out The Full Conversation ->

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SKETCH OF THE WEEK

What Makes You YOU in Retirement

RETIREMENT ARTICLES

What I've read this week

• Why Most People People Prepare For Retirement The Wrong Way - Humans vs Retirement​
• How to Survive the Wrong Turns in Life and Markets - Safal Niveshak​
• Retirement is nonsense’: Why retirement may need a rebranding - MarketWatch​