If I asked ten people what their financial goal is, eight of them would give me the same answer.
“I want to retire.”
If I asked ten people what their financial goal is, eight of them would give me the same answer.
“I want to retire.”
I understand why that feels right. Retirement has been marketed to us for decades as the finish line. Work hard. Save enough. Reach a certain age. Then life begins.
The problem is that retirement, by itself, is a terrible goal.
It’s vague. It’s outdated. And in many cases, it pushes people toward financial decisions that actually reduce freedom instead of creating it.
In the book Fearless, I talk a lot about replacing vague hopes with intentional direction. Retirement is often just a placeholder for something people haven’t fully thought through. When I ask the follow-up question, the real one, the conversation usually changes.
“What does retirement actually look like for you?”
That’s when people pause. Because most don’t want to stop being useful. They don’t want to stop learning. They don’t even want to stop working entirely. What they really want is optionality. Control over their time. The ability to say yes to what matters and no to what doesn’t.
That’s not retirement. That’s financial independence.
The danger of making retirement the goal is that it encourages people to obsess over a date instead of a lifestyle. Age 60. Age 62. Age 65. Pick a number. Life does not care about your spreadsheet. Health changes. Markets change. Jobs change. Family needs change. When the goal is a fixed date, any disruption feels like failure.
Financial independence works differently. It focuses on resilience, not precision. It asks better questions. How much income do I actually need to support the life I want? How flexible is my spending? How dependent am I on any single source of income? How exposed am I to market downturns at the wrong time?
These are some of the questions that determine freedom.
One of the most common mistakes I see is people delaying life in the name of a future they assume will be better. “I’ll travel later.” “I’ll slow down later.” “I’ll enjoy this when I retire.” That mindset creates an irony. People spend their healthiest, most capable years sprinting toward a finish line that often arrives with less energy than expected.
The SAIL FORMula was built around this exact idea. Strategy, allocation, income, and legacy are not checkboxes. They are moving parts. Together, they create margin. Margin creates choices. Choices create independence.
Income planning, especially, tends to get overlooked. People focus heavily on growing assets but give far less thought to how those assets will eventually support their life. A portfolio can look great on paper and still fail if income is poorly structured or too dependent on market timing. Independence is not just about how much you have. It’s about how your plan behaves in the real world.
Another misconception is that retirement equals safety. It doesn’t. In fact, many people take their biggest risks right as they retire. Sequence of returns risk, inflation risk, and longevity risk often show up at the same time. If your plan only works when everything goes right, it’s not a plan. It’s a hope.
A better goal is this. Build a life you don’t need to escape from. Build financial systems that support flexibility instead of forcing rigidity. Redefine success away from an age or a title and toward independence.
February is a good time for this conversation. The New Year optimism has faded and reality has returned. That makes it the perfect moment to ask whether the goal you’re chasing actually matches the life you want to live.
Retirement may still be part of the picture. That’s fine. But it should be a chapter, not the destination.
If your plan gives you more options, more confidence, and more control over your time, you’re already winning. Whether you ever use the word retirement again is secondary.
Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.
Peaks Financial is separately owned and operated and not independently registered as an investment adviser. Any opinions are those of Kevin Campbell and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. Peaks Financial- 1050 NE Hostmark St, Suite 200, Poulsbo, Wa 98370 360-564-1811
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