Retired couple say they started working on a plan three years before retirement, and that probably wasn’t enough time
Retirement planning can be difficult for many farmers. Getting started on building up savings and talking about retirement goals often doesn’t start soon enough. For Reginald and Theresa Nelson knew they could not continue their Rockglen, Sask., seed cleaning and 2,000-acre grain and certified seed operation because of Reginald’s health. But selling their operation and […] Read moreStories by Becky Zimmer
Income can continue after retirement
Different income streams can improve financial stability, whether it means an investment portfolio or continuing to work
When Reginald and Theresa Nelson started looking into their retirement plans, being financially stable was their biggest concern. No one wants to retire wondering where their money is going to come from, but retirement doesn’t have to mean that they stop working. While Reginald was not healthy enough to continue their Rockglen, Sask., seed cleaning […] Read more
Get a handle on expense and income streams
It can take a great deal of work to figure out ahead of time what ‘living within your means’ will involve after retirement
Russell and Terri Bruce are excited about their farm auction this fall. After decades of farming near Tuxford, Sask., and their last harvest in 2019, the couple looks forward to closing their operation and spending more time with their grandkids. To do that, planning their retirement, including their budget for the coming years, had to […] Read more
Call a financial planner before retirement
Farmers advised to set aside money for insurance and investment needs off the farm long before discussing retirement
When it comes to planning for their retirement, farmers rarely go to financial advisers asking for a plan. At least, that what Colin Sabourin, a financial planner with Hemmett Anseeuw and Associates of Winnipeg, sees when he works with farmers. Sabourin sees a trend of farmers whose retirement plans are selling off their assets when […] Read more
Know what you want to get from retirement
Identifying expectations can help map out suitable investments based on goals rather than just risk tolerance
What do you want out of your retirement? Being on the verge of retirement, Russell and Terri Bruce are taking this question seriously. Of course, their family is the biggest priority but visits cost money for travel and other expenses. The questions of what you want out of retirement and how you intend to pay […] Read more
Women encouraged to seek seats in provincial, municipal elections
The lack of female rural candidates running in provincial and municipal elections this fall is raising concern in some quarters. Equal Voice, a non-profit organization that focuses on gender parity, said women make up 26 percent of MLAs in the Saskatchewan legislature, 23 percent of rural ridings are represented by women and only 13 percent […] Read more
Travel can play big role in retirement
A retired Manitoba couple hopes to continue seeing the world after COVID-restrictions are eased on international travel
Travelling was always part of Betty Turner’s life, even before she and husband Dennis started planning for their retirement. After 40 years of farming 2,400 acres of crop and pasture land near Killarney, Man., it was obvious that travel was going to be a big part of their retirement years and the list of places […] Read more
Finding a passion is key to retirement
For Lynn Jacobson, it’s his work with the Alberta Federation of Agriculture and other boards that makes life meaningful
There are a lot of questions when it comes to retirement, but none as big as where one wants to live their retirement years. When planning for retirement, Lynn Jacobson and his wife, Elaine, knew they wanted to stay on the farm as long as they could. They had other ideas on where they could […] Read more
Decision-making part of transition process
A Saskatchewan cattle producer says farmers must give up their authority in order for their family members to take over
Arnold Balicki had raised cattle on his land north of Shellbrook, Sask., for 34 years but a heart bypass caused him to slow down during the past 10 years and face semi-retirement from farming. Fortunately, he had been preparing for it for a while and brought his son into the business long before the semi-retirement […] Read more
Retiring into another job can ease transition
A retired Saskatchewan grain grower says leaving the farm was the hardest thing to do when it came time to quit farming
Don Johnson knew that when farming became work, it was time for a change. The Kipling man rented his first quarter-section in 1969 before he even finished high school and kept farming his commercial grain turned pedigree seed operation until 2000. There are ups and downs in farming and most of the time one outweighed […] Read more
