So much about life is having the right perspective and the same can be said about the scenarios that feel like a true crisis. Through proper retirement planning, many of the events that feel like a negative in your life could actually provide you with an opportunity instead. Today we’re going to look at a few examples of this and tell you where to find the silver lining.

The first crisis we see all the time for people at or near retirement is becoming an empty nester. Having your children leave the house on their own for the first time can be difficult emotionally and that’s okay. While it might be difficult to process all the changes, it will free up extra income every month that you can apply to retirement. This can be a great chance to catch up if you’ve fallen behind or save a little extra to give you more freedom in retirement.

The next crisis we discuss is a market crash. We’re just coming out of one and we’re sure there’s another coming again at some point, but what makes this a good thing? If you can set the emotion aside and look beyond the current values, you’ll see that this could be a great opportunity to buy at a discount. This time might feel different, but markets have always rebounded and taking advantage of the turnaround could prove to be a positive in retrospect. What we’ve found in meeting with people in this position is that it’s a great time to assess where you are and where you’re going.

The last one we want to touch on is getting laid off from your job. There are few feelings worse than being told you no longer have a job with your company, and it can set off some strong feelings of stress and anxiety. What we’ve found in meeting with people in this position is that it’s a great time to assess where you are and where you’re going. You might be closer to retirement than you realize, but if not, let’s find out what’s holding you back and adjust.

No matter what you’re going through, today is a great time to take the next step to make sure you’re prepared for what life throws at you. Take advantage of our complimentary Money Map review to get the conversation started.

Here are some of the things we discuss in this episode:

3:23 – The crisis of becoming an empty nester

4:26 – How a market crash could become an opportunity

6:06 – Turning a layoff into a positive

9:58 – CEO’s Corner: Financial conversations with our employees

21:28 – Mailbag question on working until you’re 70