Prime Time with Bec Wilson Navigating 'the retirement you didn't see coming'
Sep 3, 2025
Dan Haylett, a UK-based financial planner and author of 'The Retirement You Didn't See Coming,' explores the emotional intricacies of retirement. He reveals why retirement should be seen as a life phase full of exploration and wisdom, rather than a goal. Dan discusses the importance of identity shifts and how meaningful work can bolster cognitive health. He emphasizes that true fulfillment stems from small rituals and planning, warning against the pitfalls of a blank schedule. Early preparation is crucial for a purposeful retirement journey.
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Retirement Is A Life Phase Not A Goal
- Dan Haylett argues retirement is not the end goal but the next life phase filled with accumulated wisdom, time and assets.
- Treat retirement as a transition to design, not a summit that ends purpose and identity.
Keep Work In Your Retirement Plan
- Keep work as an option in later life to maintain purpose, identity and cognitive engagement.
- Use your wisdom and freedom to do more of what you love and less of what you don't.
Numbers Give False Security
- Cash-flow models and spreadsheets create false certainty because they hide emotional and identity risks.
- Financial plans should remove unnecessary fear but cannot solve human questions about meaning and role.
