Founders Hall Announces Designing Your Retirement Seminar Series

Founders Hall invites the public to attend this fall’s “Designing Your Retirement” seminar series, a four-night series that kicks off with a keynote on October 2nd and then runs on Tuesday evenings, October 3rd, 10th and 17th. This thought-provoking and engaging program can help you plan your next phase of life and is open to the public; no membership required. A variety of speakers will present valuable content and share life experiences on their approach to retirement.

Sign up free of charge by calling 203.431.7000 or emailing grace@founders-hall.org. Please see below for details on each session. While it is helpful for participants to see the keynote, The Opportunity of a Lifetime, on 10/2, it is not required. Guests may attend any and all sessions they would like.

Part I The Opportunity of a Lifetime: Unpacking the Literal and Figurative Role of Place to Unlock Healthy Longevity with Ryan Frederick of Here!
Monday, October 2nd 6:30-8:00PM

In this keynote talk, longevity expert, author Right Place, Right Time: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Home for the Second Half of Life and CEO of Here, Ryan Frederick, will outline the tenets of healthy longevity and the unique role that place — both literally and figuratively — has to help live a long, purposeful, socially connected, healthy and financially secure life. Consider, for example, that genetics only account for about 20% of our longevity; lifestyle choices and environment are far more important and areas where we have agency. In this talk, Ryan will inspire people to embrace the opportunities afforded by a longer life and lean into specific strategies and tactics to earn and maintain their healthy longevity.

Part II The Right Place Workshop: An Interactive Exercise to Map Out Your Right Place Plan with Ryan Frederick of Here!
Tuesday, October 3rd 6:00-9:00PM

The Right Place Workshop provides an opportunity for participants to roll up their sleeves and apply the Right Place framework to evaluate their current place and identify ways to improve their current place and/or brainstorm alternatives. Over the course of the three-hour workshop, participants will:

• Gain a foundational understanding of the importance of place to live a healthy, long life
• Learn a framework for evaluating strengths and weaknesses of your current home and other options
• Brainstorm ideas to improve your current place
• Understand how to create an action plan to find a better place for you
• Get an overview of housing options, including single-family houses, apartments, condos, shared housing, and senior housing
• Walk away with a one-page plan with next steps to formulate your own Right Place Plan

Because lifestyle choices and environment are far more important than DNA in determining how long you live, this workshop is a valuable tool in helping you choose your right place now and for the future.

The workshop is ideal for individuals or couples who are looking to create a plan for the future or who are actively seeking out ways to improve their current place or considering alternatives. Participants are strongly encouraged to take The Right Place Assessment (here.life/assessment) in advance of the workshop.

Part III Finding Meaning and Purpose in Later Life with Ed Merck
Tuesday, October 10th 6:30-8:00PM

Explore what brings you “alive;” what makes you want to jump out of bed every morning and say, “yes!” Nothing is more important than living your life’s joy through the unfolding of who you are in the world. Let’s discover our core purpose for the years ahead and have fun doing it together. Ed Merck has been teaching and consulting on finding purpose after work since 2010. Prior to that, he worked in Higher Education as a strategic planning/finance executive. Ed is a writer, performing classical musician, certified yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and teacher of meditation.

Part IV Considering Financial Health in Retirement with Peter Hall and Sinead Faughnan
Tuesday, October 17th 6:30-8:00PM

In the final evening of our series, we will discuss the financial aspects of retirement and important aspects to be considered at this time of life. Peter Hall, CFP is Senior Vice President – Wealth Management at UBS; he focuses on estate planning, new business development and asset allocation strategies. Sinead Faughnan, CFP is Vice President – Wealth Management at UBS and has over 17 years of experience working with High-Net-Worth Clients at UBS. They will offer important advice and perspective, as well as answering questions from the group.

Founders Hall was conceived and built by Founders Hall Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization started by the families of Elaine and John Couri and Liz and Steven Goldstone. Their objective was to set a new standard for senior recreation and education by combining a state-of-the-art facility with a caring staff and an exciting curriculum of classes and activities. Founders Hall has more than 3,300 active members and is dedicated to providing a diverse program of social, educational and physical fitness programs for today’s active seniors in a warm, fun and stimulating atmosphere. To learn more, please visit founders-hall.org.