If you’re a pre-retiree, RGEA is ready to help you plan for your new phase in life. With support in advocacy, insurance benefits, social opportunities and more, joining the association and leveraging our resources just makes good sense.
If your retirement is within sight, now is the time to create a game plan. Plan what you’re going to do with your time. You’re used to working hard, probably long hours. Once you’re retired, you may discover there is a lot of day to your day. Plan now how you want to fill those hours. Hobbies? Exercise? Volunteering? Travel? All of the above?
Your social circle gets smaller when you leave work. So reach out to old friends, and make some new ones. You can join a club, do an evening class, or simply invite a neighbor over for coffee. Of course, if you’re not already a member of RGEA, now is a great time to join, to get involved and meet people even before retirement begins!
When you become a retiree, you may feel like you’ve lost your identity, especially your identity related to work. So create a new identity! Who are you going to be in this new phase of life? Artist? Writer? Volunteer Superstar? You get to decide – and you can make it fantastic and exciting and productive.
Be sure you have your insurance benefits in place for your retirement years. Often Medicare and State policies don’t cover all your needs. Luckily your association provides supplemental insurance that can fill the gaps in your coverage, like Dental Plans, Vision Plans, Life Insurance, and much more. Learn more in the Benefits section of this website.
Pre-retirement is a good time to get back to personal finance basics like budgeting. If you track your spending for a few months to see where your money is going, you may discover opportunities to save for retirement without having a big impact on your lifestyle.
If you live in a home that’s bigger than you need, consider downsizing before you retire. This may free up funds for investing, while also reducing your costs on mortgage, taxes, utilities, maintenance, and more.
In retirement, you’ll need your investments to provide income that lasts for years. To accomplish this, you may want to review your investment strategies, and make adjustments to your portfolio. If you are knowledgeable in this area, you may be able to do this yourself. However, most people can benefit from talking to an investment advisor to get their expert advice.
If you plan now, and get some help from your friends at RGEA, you can make retirement an exciting adventure and a great success. So even though you’re pre-retirement, start taking steps now to make retirement your best years yet!
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You’re invited to celebrate RGEA’s 55th Anniversary at our 2026 Fall Conference, “Powering Your Story,” in New Bern on September 21, 2026.
RGEA Director of Government Relations Jackson Cozort breaks down the rising cost of COLAs, what this year’s budget means for retirees, and how RGEA is working to strengthen the retirement system for the long haul.
