Retirement planning doesn\u2019t have to be all spreadsheets and stress.\u00a0In fact, some of the smartest moves people make are the ones that bring them the most peace of mind later.<\/p>\n
GOBankingRates spoke with Dennis Shirshikov, professor of finance at City University of New York and head of growth and engineering at GrowthLimit<\/a>, to share the financial decisions<\/a> clients say they\u2019re most grateful for<\/a>.<\/p>\n Explore Next: Elon Musk Says You Don\u2019t Need To Worry About Saving for Retirement<\/a><\/p>\n Read This: 5 Clever Ways Retirees Are Earning Up To $1K per Month From Home<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMy experience advising individuals across income levels has shown me that retirement success is usually driven by a handful of early, intentional decisions rather than complex financial engineering,\u201d Shirshikov explained.<\/p>\n According to him, there was one financial move, in particular, that his clients made that significantly smoothed their retirement planning.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most impactful move was establishing a clear separation between lifestyle spending and long-term investing early in their careers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He explained that clients who treated retirement contributions as non-negotiable, similar to taxes, avoided constant recalibration later.<\/p>\n \u201cThis created predictability and reduced stress as retirement approached,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n See Next: 6 Key Signs You\u2019ll Run Out of Retirement Funds Too Early<\/a><\/p>\n Clients who simplified their investment strategy benefited the most, Shirshikov said.<\/p>\n Rather than chasing performance or frequently reallocating, they focused on diversified, long-term portfolios aligned with their time horizon.<\/p>\n \u201cThis reduced emotional decision making and prevented costly timing mistakes during market volatility,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Shirshikov equally noted that clients who prioritized reducing high-interest and lifestyle-driven debt well before retirement had far more flexibility.<\/p>\n Lower fixed obligations meant their retirement income<\/a> did not need to stretch as far, which preserved optionality around housing, healthcare<\/a> and travel decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n Beyond the financial benefits, getting ahead on debt<\/a> also reduced stress and created a sense of control over their long-term plans.<\/p>\n