Retirement planning has changed dramatically over the past few years. Gone are the days where you could funnel money to your financial advisor and wash your hands of it. With a variety of factors to consider such as retirement income, inflation, life expectancy and health care costs, investors need to take a more proactive role in their retirement planning. The first step in this process is finding the best independent financial advisor. When looking for a good financial advisor it’s important they understand the current climate of our economy. If they take a mentality to the old paradigm chances are you’re going to want nothing to do with them. What you need is someone who understands your growing concerns over the future, who can put together a creative plan that addresses your needs and has the ability to monitor the market for new trends that can benefit you. Further, you’ll need to play an active role. It’s important you and your independent financial advisor be on the same page when it comes to expectations and your long-term goals. This also means that both you and your advisor must be willing to pull out of investments when they are not beneficial or find news ones that are. According to Investor Guide, retirees are living on average 30 years or more during their retirement period. This coupled with health care expenses, tax liabilities and inflation make taking a realistic approach and finding the best independent financial advisor essential to good retirement planning. A good advisor will understand the new economic paradigm, be collaborative with you in your retirement planning and will be able to survey the market to find better investments. Ultimately, the most important part of retirement planning is your involvement. It’s imperative you take a pro active role in your retirement planning as well as continuing to monitor it. In addition, by taking a realistic approach it can ensure you prepare carefully thereby giving you peace of mind and a retirement where you won’t have to adjust your lifestyle. To find out more about retirement planning for the new economic paradigm, click here.