When you start out in your career, you’re probably not thinking much about retirement.
But as you move through the years, your view of retirement comes into clearer and closer focus — and this vision will have a big impact on your savings and investment strategies.  
To create and implement those strategies effectively, you’ll need to define your retirement vision by identifying its various parts. Here are some to consider:
• Travel — If you’re like many people, you may dream of traveling during your retirement. But what does “travel” mean to you? Do you envision taking a cruise or an international trip every year? Or is your idea of travel just a short jaunt to a popular destination, such as a lake or the mountains or the beach?
• Second home — Once you retire, you’ll have to make some housing-related decisions. Should you sell your home and “downsize?” Or do you want to keep your current residence and possibly purchase a second home, such as a condominium, in another part of the country?
• Hobbies — During your working years, you may pursue your hobbies always with the thought that you can devote a lot more time to them after you retire. However, expanded hobby activities may involve expanded costs. For example, if you’re good with cars, you might decide to invest in that foreign sports car of which you’ve dreamed. Or, if you’re fascinated by genealogy, perhaps you’ll start traveling to places once inhabited by your ancestors.
• Second career — Many people look forward to retiring from one career so they can start another — opening a small business, consulting or even taking a part-time job.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by Evans, the company's financial adviser in Richmond Hill.