Dave Bernard is a California born and raised author and blogger with an extensive 30 year career in Silicon Valley.
Although not yet retired, he focuses on identifying and understanding those most essential considerations we will each need to address if we hope to realize a fulfilling and meaningful retirement.
Dave has written more than 300 blogs for US News & World On Retirement and his personal blog Retirement –Only the Beginning.
Candid feedback and thousands of comments from readers has given him a unique glimpse into the realities and challenges that all retirees will ultimately face, inspiring his most recent work I Want To Retire! – Essential Considerations for the Retiree to Be.
His other works include Are you Just Existing and Calling it a Life? and a free e-book entitled Navigating the Retirement Jungle.
Dave lives in sunny California with his wife, two cats, and a passion for the San Jose Sharks hockey team.
Thanks so much for your comment on my boomer years blog! You have some wonderful info here for boomers and those hoping to retire.
Dave, I found your site on Bill Birnbaum’s Adventure Retirement blog. Great site you have hear. People get an earful of financial planning for retirement and almost no lifestyle advice. Glad to see some people are trying to fill that niche.
I added you site to my blog roll on Being Retired. I’m just beginning the site. It’s only about six months old. I’m only a month into my retirement, but I want to not only document my journey and experience, but offer a little advice. I would humbled if you would add my link to you roll.
By the way, I am also a Sharks fan. Looking forward to hoisting the cup in 2011!
Dan – an excellent choice for a retirement “career”. I have fished the Eastern Sierra with my dad many times from a tube and if there is a more beautiful place to chase the elusive native trout, I have not found it. Enjoy your retirement and I may reach out to you should I need direction on a little trout fix in the future.
Hi, nice to meet you !
Hi Dave,
So great to have found your blog via our connection on Twitter. I have been retired for a year now after a 32 year career as a firefighter. So nice to be in control of time now! One thing I have learned is that I seem to either have money, or time, but never both. With my oldest daughter getting married in August, a son in college, and my youngest in high school, there are certainly more expenses on the horizon.
So many people are not where they want to be financially, even those who invested for many years.
It’s sad really…but there are options.
I’m looking forward to visiting your blog often and may I say it is great to meet you.
Best regards,
Bill
Good to meet you Bill. My son just graduated in June and my daughter a year prior so woo hoo! Now I realize that I need to start putting aside $$ for the eventual wedding which is hopefully a ways down the road! It never ends but I feel that as long as we are helping to build sane, productive future generations we are investing well. Enjoy the blog and good luck! – Dave
Hi Dave,
Like your new site. I’m already there and I’m enjoying it. Do some volunteer work and love being at the beach every day now. Stay in touch and if you get over to the beach, let’s have lunch.
Sal
I am adding this to my links of my favorites. My readers often leave through the links and I think you are on the right track. Just remember, retirement is not a destination…it is just a small change in the itinerary. I am very experienced and have talked to many retiree and wannabe retirees. The path is well marked and people seem to just follow the sign posts with out much thought. I find the patterns they follow to all be very similar.
b
Hi Dave, we added you to our Blogs we like list. Keep up the good work!
http://www.boomerplaces.com/baby-boomer-blogs/
Robert
Hey Dave,
Your blog is very insightful and definitely encourages me to start planning a retirement now. I want to retire early as well, like around my early to mid 30s – I’m currently 22. For a class assignment, I recently read your article “Why Early Retirement is Not for Everyone” and it really made me wonder, if early retirement is really right for me or not. I see that the later generations seem to want to retire early whereas the earlier ones want to postpone their retirement. As an expert in this field, I would like to know what’s your insight on this?
- Leila
Hi Dave, my husband and I retired 6 years ago and just recently started a blog to chronicle our new life. Please feel free to take a peek and see what we are up to. I’ve added you to my blogroll and will check in often. Good work.
Hallo Dave,
You talk about retiring as if it was something to be apprehensive about – why? I am fast approaching 68 and have been retired since I was sixty. Apart from putting my finances in order for my retirement, I have never really given this phase of my life much thought. I have children and grandchildren, I have worked all my life and have also had a great deal of interests outside these spheres. For me retirement was just another phase in life and one in which I could do all the things I enjoyed whenever I wanted to. I have always loved writing and now I have made this into a second career, but on my terms. I am my own boss and I take time off without asking anyone else.
If you approach retirement with apprehension you will never enjoy it. Even if the finances are not all that they should be, remember that you went to school and learnt to write. Use this ability to top up your finances occasionally and find yourself in the centre of life and really living.
Good Luck to everyone on the threshhold to retirement.
Jean kotzur
Hi Jean and thanks for your comment. Actually I look forward to retiring and doing all the things I have always wanted to but could not because of the job and other requirements. I believe that to have the best retirement it is important to prepare beyond just the financial side of things. I want to have identified what I am most passionate about so my days are fulfilling and exciting. You mention writing – definitely one of my passions. With my blog I often hear from retirees who are bored or unhappy in their retirement life and I think a bit more preparation may have helped them to realize a better retired life. But as long as I keep myself engaged and trying new things I look forward to retiring. After all, it is only the beginning!
Wow Dave what a great encouragement for those of us approaching the golden years! Great job on this site and I’ll look forward to more insightful perspectives! Thanks.
Hi Dave
So glad to have found your website. I have been looking for this kind of thing for a while. I finished working some years ago, although I have only just reached official retirement age, and for some time I did find the transition from full time work to lady of leisure more problematic than I had expected.
I guess I hadn’t really factored in what I was “losing” in addition to a monthly salary. Creating a sense of purpose to replace the imposed sense of purpose that work gives is something that I have long felt is a key to a happy retirement. I shall look forward to sharing experiences here. I write a daily inspiration blog at soulsnet and that is largely inspired by this need to share common experiences and learn from one another.
I look forward to staying in touch.
Corinne
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