On April 16: `Can You Afford to Retire?’ at Plainfield Community Ctr.

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 Jigar Doshi at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16th at the Plainfield Township Community Center, 15014 S. Des Plaines St.

The Plainfield Area Public Library District is providing registration support. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/CYATR-Plainfield. You can also contact the library at 815-327-2515 or email info@papl.info.

Doshi, 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 Doshi provides an estate analysis questionnaire and an example of a balance sheet.

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an additional layer of uncertainty as people approach retirement, said Doshi.

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

A Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Doshi has an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Mumbai-India, and a master's degree in Financial Markets from the Stuart School of Business-IIT Chicago.

He has been providing clarity and vision to successful people for nearly 20 years, using his expertise to maximize returns and improve the client experience. His service includes investment advising, estate planning, risk management and watching out for clients’ overall financial well-being.

He and his wife, Kosha, have two children and are active members of the Vernon Hills Indian Association.

Bentron Financial Group was founded by Dr. Jim Flanagan 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 and 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.

Dr. Flanagan also has a series of financial pointers, dubbed My Generation Minute, that air regularly on the radio at 87.7 METV FM in the Chicago area.

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