Published by CNN.com
Written by Bill Perkins
“When you’re planning a vacation, you probably think about where you want to go, how you’ll get there, and what you want to do once you’re there. When you know all that, you can easily figure out how much money you’ll need to make this vacation a reality.”
“But when people are planning the biggest, longest vacation of their lives — their retirement — most don’t do any of that. They’re thinking about how to save money, where to invest these savings, and how to minimize their tax burden, and yet they have only a vague sense of how they want to spend their free time or what their health will enable them to do as they age.
“That’s the big error people make in planning for retirement: They’re focusing on the money, without nearly enough thought to the activities that they will actually be doing.
“Watching my dad in the last decade of his life brought this point home for me. My dad, who had played football for the New York Jets before becoming a lawyer and a politician, was a big, strong guy even in his 70s. But by then his knees bothered him, to the point where getting up and moving was too much of a hassle.
“I remember my older sister urging me to visit him and to say I was downstairs — she knew that that’s what it would take to get Dad to come down. He just didn’t want to leave his room for anybody else, not even for the physical therapy he needed.
“What really brought him joy at that point in his life was looking at an iPad I had filled with footage of him from his years as a college football star. As I watched him reminisce with pleasure about the glory days of his youth, it hit me: You don’t retire on your money — you retire on your memories! It was then that I realized I’d better create some meaningful memories now, and I’ve been doing that ever since.
“Planning your activities with timing in mind is essential for making the most of your money and your life now and into your retirement years. If you don’t think about your future activities, how can you possibly know how much money to save? You’ll either save too little, or you’ll risk becoming one of the millions of Americans who keep accumulating wealth well into their 60s and beyond.
“I know it sounds strange to call that a “risk,” as most people don’t think of accumulating wealth into old age as a negative, but that’s exactly my point: People need to realize that saving for too long is a waste if you delay gratification to the point where there is little to no gratification to be had.”
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Amy Anderson joined the ILG Financial team in 2023 as the client relations coordinator. Her responsibilities include scheduling of appointments, annual check-up notifications, and annuity and required minimum distribution assistance. She is a graduate of Harding University with a degree in Computer Information Systems. Amy and her husband have two children and she enjoys reading, crocheting, music and spending time with her family.
Chase Lopez joined the ILG Financial team in 2020 as an advisor. Chase is a 2016 James Madison University graduate with a degree in management. Chase has been trained under the tutelage of Dave Lopez, who is not only the founder and managing member of ILG Financial, but also is Chase’s uncle and godfather. He also enjoys working alongside his cousin, Megan, who is Dave’s daughter. Chase, as a fiduciary, believes in putting his clients interests first, and building out plans for his clients where they can have a happy and fruitful retirement. He married his beautiful wife in February 2022 and both use most of their free time chasing around their little pup, Aurora.
Jessica Carson joined the ILG Financial team in 2018 as an agent. Jessica and her husband have four children, two dogs, 3 barn cats, 5 chickens, and three parakeets. She indeed loves her children and pets! When not at work, Jessica enjoys playing the piano and cello as well as traveling and spending time outside with her family, hiking, fishing, and boating.
Terri Center joined the ILG Financial team in 2019 as client services manager. She handles client records, application processing, and gathering information to provide a professional and friendly experience with all of our clients. Terri is a graduate of Oakland University. She is married and has two children. She enjoys hiking, family time, and puzzle challenging video games. She also likes to share her creativity in her canvas paintings and sewing projects.
Megan Jones joined the ILG Financial team in 2020 as marketing director. Megan and her husband live in Fredericksburg, VA with their German Short Haired Pointer, Gus. Megan is a graduate of Longwood University and holds a degree in communications. Megan is the oldest of Dave Lopez’s three children and not only enjoys working alongside her father, but also with her cousin, Chase, who joined the ILG Financial team in 2020 as an advisor. When not at work, Megan enjoys sitting on the back porch with family and friends enjoying food and music.