1. What fly fishing taught me about retirement
One of these days I am going to call my high school counselor and tell her that I have finally
found the answer to her dreadful questions “Peter, what are you passionate about and what do
you want to do when you grow up?”
Fishing, I’d say, with clear intent and purpose. But this article is not about fishing. It’s about
retirement.
Last week I went on a fish-out with a local fly fishing club and as you might imagine many of
the members are retirees. Over the next four days while fishing, driving hundreds of miles in
the desert and hours of conversation I got to ponder a lot about how I would want to spend
my time in my own retirement.
I still want to live an active life style. Fishing, hunting, hiking, climbing mountains, see
the world…whatever it is. I will still be the nature-loving outdoorsman. Quit working for
money will not change who I am as a person.
I still want to be engaged in my community. I want to join clubs that interest me, hang
out with others with similar interests, organize outings, dinners, holiday parties, raise money
for causes...just like I do today.
I still want to buy nice things. I've always appreciated quality, craftsmanship and tradition.
Owning things that last makes sense to me.
I want to live in California, well at least partially. Aside from having such gorgeous climate,
endless things to discover, well educated and progressive minded population, California is

2. also where all my friends and family will be. I will not want to be away from these people I
love.
Have money and time to spend with my grand kids. I want to take them to disney
land, teach them fishing, mushroom hunting, read books, conduct science experiments or just
throw rocks in the river, like my grand parents did with me. I’m gonna be an awesome
grandpa.
Pay my fair share of taxes. When I asked my carpool buddy Bill, who is 71 and happily
retired, whether his tax rates really are lower in retirement he replied without hesitation - NO!
This answer is consistent with many others I’ve interviewed. You see, income is taxed the
same way regardless if you are working or retired. The more you make, the more taxes you
pay. In addition, the most significant tax incentives our government gives us, qualified plans
like 401(k), IRAs, mortgage interest deductions, business expenses and children…are not
available in retirement. If your income is high to support all those fun things you want to do
your taxes will not be lower.
Ah…retirement, so far away. Or is it? The second habit1
reads “Begin with the End in Mind.”
Regardless what life stage you are in today, Be Proactive2
and seek help from a Financial
Professional. Begin with creating a vision of what the end game looks like. Research all the
potential perils along the way, study with those who came before you, define measures of
success then implement an action plan to get you there. Life is good folks because you make it
that way.
This article was written by Peter Mu
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS) 20 Bicentennial Circle, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95826 Securities products & services and advisory
services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is an indirect, wholly-
owned subsidiary of Guardian. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not give tax or legal advice. You should consult your tax or legal advisor regarding your individual
situation. CA insurance license 0E19513
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1 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, first published in 1989, is a business and self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey
2 “Be Proactive” is the first habit.
Image is created and copyrighted to Peter Mu
GEAR 2015-5438 (exp. 04/17)