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Among other things, you‘ll need to begin strucâ€" turing your own activities, maintaining your network You‘ve won your freeâ€" dom, now what are you going to do with it? But planning a successâ€" ful and happy retirement reaches well beyond finanâ€" cial matters. â€" saving and investing enough to ensure the freeâ€" dom of a financially secure retirement. Canadians are doing increasingly well at the dolâ€" lars and cents of retirement Most people would agree that retirement should be all about freedom â€" freeâ€" dom from financial worries and freedom from working responsibility. complexity That event is retirement â€" and with so many baby boomers likely to enter into longer and more active retirements than any previâ€" ous generation, preparing for those years assumes even more importance and leven(s loom large. A birth or death, a major move or job switch, a marâ€" riage or divorce. But one of life‘s most sigâ€" nificant events will be probâ€" lematic for more than oneâ€" third of Canadians 45 and older. Are you emotionally ready for retirement? Jn every life, certain _ eR e se e * Only 20 per cent of working Canadians 45 years and older have a strong commitment to activities outside of work. A recent survey* showed that 74 per cent of responâ€" dents who say they are five years from retirement are well prepared for the finanâ€" cial aspects of retirement, while just four per cent of all respondents say they are well prepared for the transiâ€" tion to a retirement lifestyle. The survey revealed these weaknesses in perâ€" sonal retirement readiness: Apparéhlly. many of us haven‘t thought that far ahead. of friends and developing connections beyond your immediate circle of friends, finding new interests and sustaining your health. RUSS McEACHNIE Take the time to become retirement ready by estabâ€" lishing and nurturing the nonâ€"financial elements of your life, including friends, family and activities that will yield substantial qualiâ€" If you‘ve let your social network languish and lost your sense of connection with your community, you‘ll have a huge void to fill when you retire â€" unless you start renewing those connections now. What happens when that huge chunk of your life that is work is suddenly taken away? That‘s especially true if you‘re so heavily engaged in your work you‘ve neglected other aspects of your life. But when it comes to retirement, you‘ll be selling yourself short if you don‘t start planning for it today. In the pressure of daily life, it‘s easy to focus on what needs to be done today and to worry about tomorrow when it comes. * 35 per cent spend less than three hours per week immersed in activities outâ€" side of work, or passive entertainment such as reading or watching TV. side work that givefit‘l'_:;n;:n opportunity to make new friendships. involved in activities out 30 per cent are not After taking the quiz, you will receive your retirement readiness score, as well as The quiz also lets you compare your retirement readiness with other Canaâ€" dians. Get a handle on your retirement readiness The Investors Group Retirement ReadinessTM quiz at www.investorsâ€" group.com provides an opportunity for you to assess how prepared you are for retirement â€" finanâ€" cially, emotionally, socially and physically. Yes, you need to build up your retirement savings but you also need to take the time to develop social netâ€" works and personal interâ€" ests that will support a fulâ€" filling retirement. tyâ€"ofâ€"life dividends through all your retirement years. * Survey by Decima Express for Investors Group. Results are based on a national telephone survey conducted with a represenâ€" tative sample of 540 Canaâ€" dians (employed, 45 years and older) between Oct. 20 and 31, 2005. A sample of this size will provide results that can be considered accuâ€" rate for the population overâ€" all to within plus or minus 4.2 per cent, 19 times out of an How ready are you for retirement? Take the interâ€" active quiz and talk to a professional advisor about your life plans so that you get the most out of your retirement years. an evaluation of how you compare to other Canadiâ€" ans as well as advice on the steps you can take now to prepare for your retirement. We have unique & ideal * Wine Agers * Cork Pulls * Carafes ‘ «* Everything for Wine Lovers ‘ plus * Customized Gift Certificates GLL Itemeo * Additions * Basements * Hitchens = Bathrooms * Carpentry * Decks/Fencing * Fireplaces/Manties for all your renovation dreams ... BIG or sman