It was four days before Christmas and the town sat still, as if Old Man Winter had forgotten the snow everyone was wishing for. Grandpa and I worked at the department store where he asked kids what they wanted for Christmas while I distributed candy canes and small presents. Grandpa’s beard was real, bushy and full. Some of the kids who tugged it were quite surprised. And when he ho ho-ed, his stomach shook. Grandpa was Santa Claus, no question.

So much has changed in the last few years. The financial system took it on the chops. Interest rates are at historic lows. The economy is languishing. But the real question is… should we make any major changes to our retirement strategy?

In the last few years we’ve all faced some hard economic realities. Do we feel richer or poorer? Well, that might have less to do with how much money we have, and more to do with our view of that money. There’s a story that really brings this idea to a point:

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month

“I need money!” Well, not me specifically… I’m talking about when my clients call me and let me know that they would like to withdraw some of their funds. You didn’t work all those years and diligently put money away to die rich, did you? You did it so that you could live comfortably and have money there when you needed it. Right?