By Blair Duquesnay of The Belle Curve

Graduation, first job, marriage, having kids, divorce, death of a spouse, becoming a grandparent. These are all major life events that receive a lot of attention. We throw parties, showers, weddings, and funerals to mark these milestones. We formalize them with legal documents. We write articles, how-to’s, and self-help books about them. The rhythm of our lives and our society is centered around them. But there’s a very important life event that gets less attention. It’s retirement.

Retirement is more than a transition from the daily grind to a life of leisure. It is a major turning point in our relationship with money. For decades we save and invest, watching as our pile of money grows. In retirement, we must flip a switch and begin spending down hard-earned assets. The good habits we formed while working and saving turn against us and inhibit our ability to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Is the goal to die with the largest pile of money? I hope not. That would mean missing out on…. Read more