Why And When You Should Consider Working With A Retirement Coach
Updated: Mar 6, 2025
Written by: Jennifer Rovet, CPRC, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It is universally accepted that you need to save for retirement before your salary stops. If you have been diligent, you may have contributed to some sort of savings plans such as an RRSP, 401K or a pension plan. Fast forward and your big day is quickly approaching. You have succeeded in accumulating the funds you need to retire. You think you are ready, but are you?
Typically, retirement is portrayed as a time of living happily, free of stress, and having plenty of time to do whatever you want. While relaxing and getting some well-deserved rest is certainly important, for some, there is only so much napping, tinkering around the house, or playing golf one can do. Retirement is a huge transition and possibly the hardest and most stressful one people will make in their entire life. Without a solid plan as to what to do, many retirees find themselves bored, lonely, somewhat unfulfilled, and even depressed. They may also now be out of sync with their spouse who has not worked or been long retired or who is still working.
While a financial advisor may help with the financial side of preparing for retirement, it is a Retirement Coach who can best prepare you for the personal challenges. Your Retirement Coach can help you deal with the potential mental, emotional, physical and spiritual issues to cope with your career ending and moving into this next stage of life.
What is Retirement Coaching?
Retirement coaching is a process whereby coach and client together examine your personal set of challenges and the opportunities available to you in retirement.
In retirement, you now have control over your own time. For the first time, you no longer need to wake up to an alarm clock, rush off to a job, spend many hours working with colleagues, clients or patients and reporting to a boss or being that person. Instead, you can do everything and anything you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time for. But how do you do this if you don’t know how? This uncertainty may leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsatisfied.
Why work with a Retirement Coach?
A Retirement Coach will assist you to explore many aspects of designing a dynamic and rewarding retirement lifestyle. A Retirement Coach can also assist with the following:
Guide you towards implementing a plan of action to help with your transition
Identify what is important to you and how to measure your personal success and accomplishments
Help you create structure and a schedule, so you feel fulfilled and have a reason to get out of bed each morning
Educate you on maintaining good health and physical exercise during your retirement, so you can continue to do all the activities and adventures you have planned, while at the same time assist as you come to terms with physical limitations and changes as you age
Help you understand and accept that social circles and family dynamics might change during retirement and teach you how to work through these situations to avoid feeling lonely and isolated
When to start working with a Retirement Coach?
Working with a Retirement Coach can start anywhere from one to five years before retiring, shortly after you have retired or many years into your retirement. There is no rule as to when you should start but having a good plan in place will make the transition easier as you’ll appreciate what you are retiring to, as opposed to what you are retiring from.
It’s your retirement. Create the life you want to live!
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!
Jennifer Rovet, CPRC, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jennifer Rovet is a Certified Professional Retirement Coach and owner of Retire Ready Canada. She started her coaching business in 2019 when she saw a need to help people as they started to plan and transition into retirement. While retirement can be an exciting time, people choose to work with a Retirement Coach when they are struggling, maybe feeling overwhelmed and not sure what to do once they leave the tradition 9-5 working world. Jennifer is passionate about helping people find purpose, meaning and happiness in their retirement years. She empowers her clients to find ways to keep active and connected in this next stage of life.
