November naturally invites us to reflect.
Around Thanksgiving tables, we pause to recognize the people, experiences, and blessings that have shaped our lives.
For those approaching or living in retirement, this season can also be an opportunity to think about a question that goes beyond investment returns, retirement savings, and account balances:
What do I want to do with what I’ve been given?
At LifeSmart Financial, we believe financial planning isn’t only about accumulating wealth. It’s about building a retirement plan that helps you manage your resources wisely, protect your financial future, and support the people, purposes, and Christian values that matter most.
Whether you’re preparing to retire or already enjoying your golden years, good stewardship means making thoughtful decisions about your money, investments, and the legacy you hope to leave.
Gratitude Changes Our Perspective
It’s easy to focus on what we don’t have.
We may compare our finances with someone else’s. We may wish we’d saved more, invested differently, or made better decisions years ago.
But gratitude invites us to see things differently.
It asks us to recognize what we do have and consider how we can use it wisely.
As 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us:
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring financial challenges or pretending everything is perfect.
For many retirees, concerns about having enough money, managing medical expenses, or making retirement savings last can create uncertainty. Even with a carefully developed retirement plan, unexpected expenses and income changes can arise.
Gratitude helps shift our perspective from worrying only about what the future holds to recognizing the blessings we’ve already received and the opportunities we have to use them responsibly.
It means approaching life with thankfulness rather than constant comparison.
From a biblical perspective, stewardship begins with recognizing that God has entrusted everything we have to us. Our responsibility is to manage those resources with wisdom, gratitude, and purpose.
Generosity Is About More Than Money
When we hear the word generosity, we often think immediately about financial giving.
And financial generosity certainly matters.
But we also have other resources to give.
Our time.
Our experience.
Our wisdom.
Our encouragement.
Our attention.
Retirement can create new opportunities to invest these resources in others.
You may have decades of professional knowledge that could benefit someone younger. You may have more time to volunteer, mentor, serve in your church, care for grandchildren, or support a cause close to your heart.
After years of working, saving, and building a career, retirement can let you focus on the relationships and activities that bring greater purpose to your life.
For example, you might use your experience to mentor young professionals, share financial lessons with your children, or spend more time supporting ministries and community programs. These contributions can create a lasting impact without requiring a significant financial commitment.
Sometimes the most valuable thing we can give isn’t money.
It’s ourselves.
A meaningful retirement isn’t measured only by how much you’ve saved or how much retirement income you receive. It’s also shaped by how intentionally you use your time, talents, and resources to serve others.
Making Generosity Part of Your Financial Plan
For many families, giving isn’t something left over after meeting every other financial priority.
It’s a core value.
That’s why generosity deserves a place in the financial planning conversation.
You may want to support your church, missionaries, ministries, charities, educational institutions, or community organizations.
You may also want to help children or grandchildren.
The key is intentionality.
Your retirement plan should consider both your financial needs and your desire to give. That includes understanding how different income sources, retirement accounts, and investment options may support your generosity goals.
For example, your retirement income might come from Social Security benefits, pensions, a traditional IRA, a Roth IRA, a 401(k), or other investments. Each source may have different tax considerations that can influence when and how you choose to give.
Withdrawals from a traditional IRA or other tax-deferred retirement accounts generally increase taxable income. Roth IRA distributions, on the other hand, may be tax-free when certain requirements are met. Understanding these differences can help you make more informed financial decisions.
Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are another important consideration for many retirees. Depending on your age and account type, the IRS may require you to withdraw a minimum amount from certain retirement accounts each year. These withdrawals can affect your taxable income and overall retirement strategy.
For eligible individuals, qualified charitable distributions from an IRA may offer a tax-efficient way to support charitable organizations while satisfying some or all of their required minimum distribution obligations. Specific eligibility rules and limitations apply.
Thoughtful planning can help you explore how to give generously while also remaining responsible about your long-term needs.
This means evaluating your retirement goals, anticipated living expenses, medical expenses, investment risk, and the amount of income you may need throughout retirement.
A financial plan can also help you consider how generosity fits alongside your personal savings, your family’s needs, and the assets you hope to preserve for future generations.
Generosity and wise stewardship don’t have to compete with one another.
They can work together.
What Kind of Legacy Will You Leave?
Legacy is about more than inheritance.
Money can be part of it, certainly.
But your true legacy may also include your faith, values, stories, wisdom, traditions, and the way you treated people.
What do you want your children and grandchildren to remember?
What lessons do you want to pass down?
What values have guided your life?
Financial planning can help organize the assets you leave behind. But creating a meaningful legacy requires something more personal.
It requires intentionality about how you live today.
A thoughtful legacy plan can help ensure your retirement savings, investments, and other financial assets are managed and distributed as you intend.
This may involve reviewing beneficiary designations on individual retirement accounts, coordinating your financial arrangements with your estate planning documents, and considering how your assets may benefit your spouse, children, grandchildren, or charitable organizations.
For Christians, legacy planning also offers an opportunity to pass down the principles of faithful stewardship. Beyond deciding who receives your money, you can share why certain financial decisions mattered and how your faith influenced the way you saved, invested, gave, and served.
Your investments can also reflect those convictions during your lifetime. Through faith-based investing and a screening process that evaluates companies against biblical values, you can consider whether your investment choices align with what matters most to you.
Faith-based screening reflects judgments about biblical values, may narrow the range of available investments, and allows for exceptions. Existing holdings may take time to transition, or may not be transitioned in every case. No approach can guarantee returns.
Investing involves risk, and no investment strategy can guarantee returns or eliminate the possibility of loss. However, a values-aligned approach can help you consider both your financial goals and your beliefs when making investment decisions.
Ultimately, the goal isn’t simply to leave behind more money. It’s to create a legacy of faithful stewardship that can influence future generations.
A Season to Reflect
This Thanksgiving season, perhaps it’s worth taking time to ask:
What am I most grateful for?
How can I use my time and resources to bless others?
Does my financial plan reflect my values?
Am I making thoughtful decisions about my retirement income, savings, and long-term financial future?
Do my investments reflect my Christian beliefs and commitment to good stewardship?
What kind of legacy am I building?
These questions may not appear on a traditional financial statement.
But they can be among the most important questions we ask.
As a registered investment adviser, LifeSmart Financial helps individuals and families approach retirement planning with clarity, care, and a commitment to their values. Our faith-based approach considers more than investment performance. We help clients develop personalized strategies to manage retirement income, protect their assets, and prepare for the future.
With more than 25 years of experience helping clients navigate financial decisions, we understand that a strong relationship with your financial advisor should be built on trust, personal attention, and shared values.
At LifeSmart Financial, we believe true wealth isn’t measured only by what we accumulate.
It’s also reflected in what we give, whom we serve, and the difference we make in the lives of others.
Because a LifeSmart retirement isn’t simply about enjoying what you’ve earned.
It’s about using what you’ve been given wisely.
Advisory services are offered through Inspire Advisors, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC.
Does Your Retirement Plan Reflect What Matters Most to You?
We’d be honored to help you explore how your financial resources can support your family, your generosity, and the legacy you hope to leave.
Whether you’re approaching retirement or already retired, LifeSmart Financial can help you build a personalized retirement plan that aligns your faith, finances, and long-term goals.
Let’s work together to make thoughtful decisions about your retirement income, investments, and financial future so you can live with purpose and retire with confidence.
Disclaimer
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be considered individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Please consult qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.