Retirement could be defined by the three M’s: mobility, mind and money, according to Barbara Dare, vice president of wholesaler productivity and analytics at Great-West Financial based in Colorado.
The three are intertwined, not stand-alone, parts of retirement, said Dare.
The theory of the three M’s was developed by Great-West Financial collaboration with the Stanford Center on Longevity, which studies the nature and development of the human life span.
“Almost everybody would say they want to live well, but their actions don’t really reflect a desire to live long,” said Dare, who was a keynote speaker at the Invest In Women conference, sponsored by Financial Advisor magazine and held in Houston last week.
Running or walking on a regular basis and avoiding risky behaviors enhance long-lasting mobility, she explained. “Sitting is the new smoking,” she said. There has been a drastic increase in the number of people who sit five or more hours a day, she added.
Socializing can help keep the mind sharp into retirement and women are better at socializing than men. Married men live longer than single men and single women live longer than married women and longer than men, McClanahan said.
One thing that affects retirees’ ability to socialize is hearing loss, but many older people wait five to 15 years before getting help for it.
“As a financial advisor, you are set up to start the conversation about this,” Dare told the more than 300 people attending the conference. “You might want to have a hearing specialist who you can refer clients to, if they want.”
The final M–money–is where the financial advisor can have the most impact.
“Make sure your clients do not take Social Security too soon” and that they consider other options for income, such as annuities, she said.