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Community Corner

On January 23: `Can You Afford to Retire?’ at Elmhurst Public Library

Retirement expert Dr. Jim Flanagan, founder of Bentron Financial Group, leads session that helps you gauge your retirement readiness

Dr. Jim Flanagan helps people at or near retirement through investment advising, estate planning, risk management and watching out for their overall financial well-being. His presentation on Tuesday, January 23rd is hosted by the Elmhurst Public Library.
Dr. Jim Flanagan helps people at or near retirement through investment advising, estate planning, risk management and watching out for their overall financial well-being. His presentation on Tuesday, January 23rd is hosted by the Elmhurst Public Library. (Matt Baron | Inside Edge PR + Media)

Can you afford to retire?

Depending on your situation, it’s a simple question that you may welcome with a sense of accomplishment or receive with more than a little concern.

That provocative, but urgent, question is also the title of a presentation by retirement expert Dr. Jim Flanagan at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23rd at Elmhurst Public Library, 125 S. Prospect Ave.

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The event is both in-person and virtual, for those who prefer to attend via Zoom.

The registration page for those looking to attend in person is at http://tinyurl.com/RetireInPerson; to register for virtual access, go to http://tinyurl.com/ZoomRetire.

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For more information, call 630-279-8696 or e-mail reference@elmlib.org

Flanagan, founder of Bentron Financial Group, will guide attendees through several self-evaluation exercises that help reveal their readiness for retirement. Thereafter, attendees will be introduced to 10 critical questions that every retiree must answer before embarking on a successful retirement. In addition, the session will cover the basic need for an estate and/or a financial plan, as Flanagan provides an estate analysis questionnaire and an example of a balance sheet.

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in an additional layer of uncertainty as people approach retirement, he noted.

“In a real practical way, this program helps people assess whether they are ready to retire,” Flanagan added. “And if not, what steps do you need to take to get there?”

Flanagan founded Bentron Financial Group in 2001. He has provided financial guidance to people at or near retirement age for over 30 years. In that time, he has become a nationally recognized expert on financial issues impacting older adults and late-life transitions. Flanagan is the author of Packing For Retirement: A Practical Guide to Prepare for Retirement at Any Age.

He has served on the Oak Park/River Forest Township Senior Services Committee since 2008. In 2010, he founded the Celebrating Seniors Coalition, a not-for-profit organization that provides seniors with emergency services and raises public awareness of issues affecting seniors in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park.

Bentron Financial Group is online at www.bentron.com.

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