We were meeting at our usual place, a bustling coffee shop near downtown. It was our second meeting since she retired earlier this year, and I was anxious to hear how things were going.

Huddled in a corner for some privacy, we sipped our coffee as I walked her through a quick portfolio review. Shortly thereafter, our attention turned to some unexpected caped crusaders, as two young boys walked in with their mother. 

Their costumes and interactions were cute at first, but then their superhero antics began to cause some collateral damage. Their mother appeared completely oblivious to the chaos they were creating. They knocked over bags as they crawled under tables and their loud voices disrupted phone calls. I had no idea that superpowers could be so damaging, let alone that a similar situation was taking place with my client.

It turns out that she recently started working at a local animal shelter. She had always dreamed of working with animals and was looking for ways to connect with other pet lovers. What she said next will go down as one of the most profound retirement statements I have come across in the last two decades.

She shared, “A couple of weeks ago, I was finishing up my shift and moping the floor when it suddenly dawned on me, I’m invisible!”

The gravity of her comment hit me right away. At some point we have all felt invisible. Whether it was being picked last for a team, the transition into high school or college, feeling isolated after a move to a new city, or being the only one not invited to a holiday party.

In that simple statement, she not only captured my attention but also the essence of what it’s like for a client to lose their work identity… and I saw firsthand how a superpower like being invisible can impact a new retiree. 

She went on to share, “I don’t know how else to describe it… I felt like I was there but that no one could see me.”

It was a mesmerizing conversation because it created such a powerful visual that I could easily insert myself into. She was surrounded by other staff members and four legged friends in the cages nearby, but as she slid the mop across the floor, her motions were undetectable. Nobody was looking at her, talking to her or waiting to hear from her. She didn’t exist. 

I thought, for the first time in a long time, she didn’t have a role or place in an organization… no one was aware of how important she used to be… how much money she had, or how hard she worked to reach this point in her life. It all disappeared.

It’s interesting because growing up most people dream of having a superpower or two. Whether it’s flying, herculean strength, telepathy or breathing underwater, superpowers, like retirement, are usually labeled as good, and as something one would desire to have. Not as something bad or difficult. 

However, just as Peter Parker struggled to harness his web powers and Harry Potter bumped into bookshelves with his invisible cloak, clients aren’t prepared to deal with some of these non-financial factors… and oftentimes don’t know who to turn to. Therefore, advisors need to be prepared to help clients understand the impact they can have, while providing concrete guidance to help them either avoid or harness these new powers. 

On the surface, telling clients that you want to talk about the effect that superpowers can have on their retirement may garner you some odd or even evil looks. However, clients need a fresh and more personal look at what retirement may actually look and feel like. For years, I’ve preached that people need a written plan for everyday life in retirement. That they need to replace their work identity, take steps to stay connected and relevant, while keeping mentally and physically sharp. 

But those are broad, general concepts that don’t always strike a cord and foster actual plans. It’s sort of like telling a new planning client to adjust their asset allocation and diversify a little more. They can comprehend it, but can’t necessarily act on it.

Reality is, clients need context and visual images to blaze new thoughts and actions on their way to retirement. 

Which is why I found the “invisible” comment so powerful. It sends a clear message that they can experience right now, in the moment, and won’t be able to just gloss over the advice or put off until later.  

Surprisingly, there are a number of superpower-related situations clients can find themselves in. For example, a retired business owner and multimillionaire was completely unaware of his ability to generate a force field. He was a super successful guy, constantly on the road and always in a meeting or on a call. Then a few years into retirement, his sidekick wife passed away and the bridge that connected him to the kids and grandkids had suddenly washed out. 

“I spent so much time focused on my business that I missed out on a lot… and now with my wife gone, things have only gotten worse. The kids rarely return calls, and I haven’t seen the grandkids in years. It’s like there are these walls I can’t knock down.”

How many times have you heard that story? What if the same client had envisioned his empire-building actions as a massive bubble of energy that was pushing those he cared about further and further away? 

Sad part is, clients often spend decades erecting walls, barriers and other obstacles but try to tear them down in that first year of retirement. Worse, it’s often done at a time that is convenient for them but not for those they are trying to reconnect with.

It’s important to point out that not all retirement-based superpowers are bad or take clients off course. One of my clients is a time traveler. Once a week, rain or shine, he travels back to a simpler time and place. 

Recently, he shared that part of his normal routine is to read the local newsletter at his parent’s farm. You could tell it was a source of positive thoughts and energy.

Sitting back in his chair and gazing up for a moment he shared, “I go out to my parent’s farm a couple times a week because it takes me back to the olden days. My wife doesn’t like it there and wishes I would just sell it, but it gets me out of the house and keeps me busy by mowing the lawn and keeping things up.”

Other retirement superpowers can be object based, like Iron Man’s armor or Green Lantern’s ring. One retiree I know becomes a completely different person when he’s in harmony, and costume, with his barbershop quartet. They stroll in parades, kick-off community events and sometimes just sing on the corner during warm summer nights. When he’s around the other guys, his slight limp disappears, and he smiles a different smile with that skimmer hat and candy-stripped vest on.

Something similar holds true for a retired friend who runs the local Jaguar Car Club. Once he’s got his baby polished up, driving gloves on and is surrounded by other collectors, he’s in another universe.

Retirement superpowers can take many forms, and impact clients in both good and bad ways. However, unlike the mom in the coffee shop, advisors can’t afford to be oblivious or ignore the collateral damage that superpowers may be having on their clients.

They need to break free from the traditional bounds of retirement planning and be vigilant in not only developing ways in which to discuss the topics, but also in helping to create specific plans for them.

Whether it’s helping clients avoid feeling invisible, tearing down a force field, preserving memories or joining a special group, advisors themselves play a super role in making the world a better place.

Robert Laura is the president of SYNERGOS Financial Group, the founder of RetirementProject.org and the creator of the Retirement Wellness Report and DividendPaycheck.org. He can be reached at [email protected].