What the Happiest (and Unhappiest) Retirees Know

It’s always nice to know where you’re heading, and what experiences people arriving before you have had on their journey. Retirement is certainly no exception to this rule. Learning from the happiest retirees can inform your decision making and planning.

But perhaps more telling information would come from an interrogation of what retirees who assess themselves as unhappy share, at least in terms of traits and circumstances. ESI Money continues his look at a book profiling retirees, their happiness, and their conditions, and gleans some interesting insights from its contents.

You Might Be An Unhappy Retiree If…

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My research showed that the number one luxury brand for unhappy retirees was BMW. But why do UROBs drive BMWs? I’ve had a lot of time to ponder this. I’ll tell you what I think: there’s something about the performance-oriented, fine-cutting, hard-driving, expensive-to-repair flashiness of a BMW that leads to unhappiness in retirement.

1. You Might Be a UROB If You Drive a BMW

I don’t know any other way to describe it. To this day, when I look at a BMW, it just screams: I’m trying to prove something! To whom? To my friends? To my spouse? To myself? Maybe all of the above. To me, it connotes a level of insecurity in the driver, suggesting there’s a gap he or she is trying to fill...

There is a big difference between being actively involved in your investment portfolio and taking on a second career as a stock trader.

2. You Might Be a UROB If You’re Too Keyed up About Investments

Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good idea to spend time with your finances, and you certainly want to have at least a base level of financial literacy. But once you get too far into the weeds, it’s a red flag. Tormenting yourself over fast-moving facts and figures almost always leads to poor investment returns over time, not to mention the ongoing emotional toll and burden.

Being glued to every drop or rise in the Dow Jones Industrial Average while you’re in retirement? That’s not making you more money. It’s a formula for anxiety because investing is a bumpy, unpredictable game in the short term.

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