Nathan's Insights

Now I’m into my 50s my mind is turning to the next phase of my life and what I want to get out of it especially as I transition to retirement. Education, health, spiritual balance and new travel and cultural experiences are very possible with the right focus, attitude and commitment.

I’m placed myself in a strong retirement position financially, I own my apartment, I have no real debts, and I have a significant superannuation account balance.

My superannuation is in a defined scheme meaning my income stream, once commenced, is guaranteed for the rest of my life and indexed to inflation. My take home fortnightly ‘pay’ in retirement will be around 5% less than my current wage but without the normal office expenses to pay for I’m really ahead and I don’t have to work and attend endless management meetings 🙂

This guaranteed income stream, and the no debt situation, provides financial freedom and security to plan for my transition and the next life stage. The aim is to retire shorty after I turn 55 years old, this will be sometime in 2029, when I can access my retirement income stream.

As I near retirement I’m currently planning the following pre retirement trips;

• Domestic Travel: Sydney to Perth (Indian Pacific train plus explore Perth). Booked: November 2026
• International Travel: visit Qatar, Jordan, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Booked: Nov 2026 – Jan 2027
• Domestic Travel: Explore Far North Queensland. Aim: 2027 (pre-retirement) or 2029 (after retirement)
• International Travel: visit Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Greenland. Aim: Mid-2028

I’m also aiming to get my bathroom renovated while I’m traveling late 2026 so one less major maintenace project settled.

That brings me up to my planned retirement phase. To ensure I don’t just drift I have been considering, for at least the last year, what I want out of this stage of my life and care up with four themes.

• Education
• Travel experiences
• Giving back
• Health

I’ve started looking into Bachelor of Art degrees which will able me to focus on history, ethics, social justice, politics and international studies. Basically, topics I have a passion for instead of topics needed for career skills.

I also want to explore more of regional Australia especially my own backyard of Victoria.

I’ve updated my bucket list To Do accordingly and I’ve found myself getting more excited about the future endless possibilities. The foundation is set and the future is bright now to be brave and seize them.