# 54 - Planning, Pensions & Companionship = Happy Retirement

In this episode I review an older article (2005) from Keith Bender and Natalia Jivan called "What Makes Retirees Happy". Now one might question why I'm using a nearly 20 year old article to discuss. Good question. The answer is because this was another seminal article, at least for me, as I began my career painting the picture of what makes retirees actually happy and content. And folks, it's not wealth. Not by any stretch. Yes, wealth can help. But there becomes a negative utility in having more wealth. That is a fancy economics term meaning the MORE you have of something the less you value it. What retirees value most? Oddly, well not really, it's in having the choice to retire as opposed to being forced to. Also, having a guaranteed flow of income from pensions and annuities, not just Social Security, combined with an asset that can grow to provide a potential higher standard of living. Lastly, it's the ability to spend time with one's spouse. Listen to learn more.