By Tracy Want, Head of Corporate Employee Investment and Risk Based Solutions, RMB
At 35, many people are considered mid-career. They're experts in their field, building businesses, advancing in the workplace and often, raising young children. It's a time when confidence runs high, and energy feels limitless. A spontaneous hike or hoisting a heavy suitcase off the airport conveyor belt is second nature. Life is full of movement, ambition, and possibility.
By 60, things look quite different. Skin a little thinner, hair a touch greyer and pace a bit slower. Children may have grown up and moved out. Grandchildren might be on the horizon. Retirement is around the corner, and the dream of more time to enjoy the things you love begins to feel real.
For most older people looking back on their savings journey, it's often clear that it wasn't perfect. But most people can say they did their best to prepare. Perhaps they took out a retirement annuity in their forties to supplement an employer's pension plan. By their late forties, they might have started saving into a unit trust, building another layer of financial security. Maybe they worked hard to pay off a home loan and car and, with most debts behind them and children out of the house, they are now ready to explore a small side hustle to keep them active and fulfilled - and bring in some pocket money in retirement.
Not everyone followed the same path of course. Some started saving earlier, like that friend or colleague who always seemed ahead of the financial game. For others, priorities at the time, like school fees, medical bills or urgent family needs, meant delaying their financial planning. In hindsight, maybe some of the choices they made should have been different.
However, with age comes the wisdom to appreciate that life isn't about perfection - it's about doing your best with what you have. A journey that may have felt disjointed or delayed often leads to a place of meaning and pride. Visualising a retirement end state like this can be helpful at any age. It sharpens our focus, aligns our actions with long-term goals and gives us clarity. Even if the reality doesn't end up matching the vision perfectly, it can still be something great.
In the 2025 FNB Retirement Survey, over a thousand South Africans shared their retirement hopes and plans. The responses revealed a wide range of aspirations. Some viewed retirement as a chance to embrace experiences that once felt out of reach. Others looked forward to simple joys like spending time with loved ones, tending to a garden or enjoying the peace of a beach. Each vision was unique, yet three priorities stood out, namely: having enough money; maintaining good health; and sharing life with others.
In the retirement industry, we often focus on the money; but the true equation for a healthy retirement is broader than that. Sure, it includes savings, but also discipline, wellness and strong relationships.
A healthy retirement equation:
Save + Preserve + Be Healthy + Maintain Relationships = A happy, fulfilling retirement
Here's how to make that equation work at any stage of life:
Save - Saving is essential. The sooner you start, the more time you have to build a solid foundation. As seen in the earlier example, the savings journey doesn't have to be perfect—just consistent. Regular contributions matter more than timing. Whether through a retirement annuity, an employer's pension plan, or unit trusts, what counts is forming disciplined financial habits.
Preserve - Preserving savings is just as important as building them. Avoid withdrawing your retirement funds unless it's absolutely necessary. If circumstances require it, recommit as soon as you can. Stay focused, and don't give up on your financial goals. Remember that momentum matters.
Be healthy - Health is often left out of retirement planning, yet it plays a critical role. After the age of 60, people begin to lose as much as 3 - 5% of their lean muscle mass per decade. Over a lifetime, that adds up to a loss of about 30% of the muscle that once felt effortless in youth. This decline affects strength, balance and stamina, increasing the risk of falls and limiting independence. That's why it's important to begin building strength now. A regular resistance training routine, at home or in a gym, helps preserve muscle mass. Lift weights often and as heavily as safely possible. Increase protein intake to support muscle maintenance. While it won't prevent every health issue, greater strength and fitness can go a long way toward keeping retirement aspirations on track.
Maintain relationships - Life without meaningful connection can feel empty, no matter how much has been saved. Studies from longevity hotspots like Okinawa in Japan and Sardinia in Italy, show that strong social bonds are linked to longer, healthier lives. These communities prioritise connection, and their residents benefit from the support and sense of belonging.
Maintain relationships - Life without meaningful connection can feel empty, no matter how much has been saved. Studies from longevity hotspots like Okinawa in Japan and Sardinia in Italy, show that strong social bonds are linked to longer, healthier lives. These communities prioritise connection, and their residents benefit from the support and sense of belonging.
Being intentional about relationships is vital. Consider where and how you'd like to spend retirement, and who you want to spend it with. Start cultivating a supportive social network now, so it's there when you need it.
The bottom line
A fulfilling retirement isn't shaped by perfection or built on flawless decisions. It's the result of small, steady efforts and a clear vision of what truly matters. If you save consistently, protect what you've built, stay healthy and build meaningful relationships, you can create a retirement that brings purpose and joy.
No matter where you are on your journey, the choices you make today will shape the freedom and fulfilment you experience tomorrow. Then, the imperfect walk through time becomes a testament to resilience - a life well-lived, guided by intention rather than perfection.
