The Modern Retirement: Why Wait Until You're Gone? (#664)

Give it away while you can still see the smiles.

I recently read an article about a person in their sixties who had done everything right financially. They had worked hard, saved diligently, invested wisely, paid off the house, accumulated retirement savings, and achieved what most people would call financial security.

Yet they faced an unexpected problem.

They couldn't bring themselves to spend the money.

Every purchase was scrutinized. Every expense questioned. Every indulgence felt somehow irresponsible.

After decades of measuring success by the growth of savings and investments, spending felt like failure.

I suspect many people of my generation understand this feeling.

We were raised to save. To avoid waste. To prepare for the future. To leave something behind.

But eventually an uncomfortable question emerges:

If we never enjoy the fruits of our labor, what exactly was the point?

The Difference Between Security and Hoarding

There is a profound difference between financial security and financial accumulation for its own sake.

Security means having enough.

Enough to sleep at night. Enough to weather unexpected challenges. Enough to avoid becoming a burden on others.

Beyond that point, however, the purpose of money begins to change.

Money becomes less about protection and more about possibility.

The question is no longer:

How much can I accumulate?

The question becomes:

What can I do with what I have?

Kids, Grandkids, and the Joy of Witnessing

Many parents and grandparents dream of leaving an inheritance.

There is nothing wrong with that.

But I sometimes wonder whether we have become so focused on what happens after we die that we overlook opportunities to make a difference while we are still alive.

Suppose your granddaughter dreams of studying abroad.

Suppose your grandson wants help buying his first home.

Suppose your children are struggling with childcare costs, educational expenses, or simply trying to establish themselves in an increasingly expensive world.

Imagine being able to help.

Now imagine being able to watch what happens because you helped.

You get to see the graduation. You get to visit the first home. You get to witness the confidence that comes from removing a financial burden. You get to hear the stories. You get to share the journey.

Why would we choose to miss all of that?

The Problem with Inheritance

Inheritance is often treated as the ultimate act of generosity.

Sometimes it is.

But sometimes inheritance is simply deferred decision-making.

The money arrives when we are gone. The conversations never happen. The gratitude is mixed with grief. The opportunity to share the experience disappears forever.

I am not suggesting people should leave nothing behind.

I am suggesting that many people may be overestimating the value of what they leave after death and underestimating the value of what they can give during life.

The Charity Question

The same principle applies to charitable giving.

Many people include charitable organizations in their wills.

Again, there is nothing wrong with that.

But there is something deeply satisfying about supporting a cause and then watching it flourish.

You can visit the wildlife sanctuary. You can see the scholarship recipient graduate. You can watch the conservation project succeed. You can meet the people whose lives were changed. You become part of the story rather than merely a footnote at the end of it.

And perhaps most importantly, you can adjust your giving as you learn what works and what does not.

The Importance of Unconditional Gifts

If we choose to give, we should also think carefully about how we give.

Many gifts come with strings attached. Many donations come with conditions. Many inheritances come with expectations.

In my view, the most meaningful gifts are often the simplest.

Give because you want to help. Give because you care. Give because it brings you joy.

And then let go.

An unconditional gift is an expression of trust.

It says:

I believe in you.

Use this in the way that best helps your life.

This is not a transaction.

There is a remarkable freedom in that.

The Final Balance Sheet

At some point, all of us reach the stage where the financial spreadsheets matter a little less.

The balance sheet begins to look different.

The assets become memories.

The dividends become experiences.

The return on investment becomes measured in relationships rather than percentages.

The question is no longer whether we could have accumulated more.

It is whether we used what we had to enrich the lives of the people and causes that mattered most to us.

I have come to believe that one of the great privileges of growing older is the opportunity to witness the impact of our generosity.

To see our children flourish. To see our grandchildren thrive. To see worthy charities succeed. To see dreams become realities.

And to know that we helped make those things happen.

Why wait until the reading of the will?

If you are fortunate enough to have enough, perhaps the better question is this:

What good could you do with it today?

#bunyipsbooksbeyond