Retirement Life
25 March 2026
How to stop hoarding your nest egg - and start enjoying it
‘Just say yes to your universe’ is the mantra 70-year-old Kate* lives by today - and since retiring at the end of 2025, she’s been putting those words into action.
She now says yes to the gym, yes to musical theatre, yes to mahjong and golf… and most enthusiastically, yes to seeing the world. With her husband, she’s embraced international travel, ticking off Tasmania, Europe, China, and visiting their adult children abroad whenever they can - especially since they began drawing an income from their home through Lifetime Home.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people, and I think while we're both fit and healthy and able to travel, we’ll focus on that for the next five years. Then we’ll see what happens. Lots of people have said you slow down after 75 and don’t want to do those big trips.”
Unlocking the retirement dream
Young at heart and determined not to let her best years slip by, Kate says Lifetime Home has helped unlock the retirement she and her husband had hoped for. “It’s given us a bit of extra cash to do what we want to, without dipping into our savings,” she says.
Lifetime Home, offered by Lifetime Retirement Income, takes a fresh approach to equity release. Instead of a loan piling on interest, homeowners aged 70+ can sell a portion of their home equity at a discount in exchange for predictable, fortnightly payments for up to 10 years. This steady income top-up sits comfortably alongside NZ Superannuation and doesn’t create debt or compound costs.
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Enjoying, not hoarding retirement savings
As a former accountant, Kate has spent years watching friends and clients quietly struggle with the emotional side of spending what they’ve worked hard to save. Many cling to the ‘save, save, save’ mindset, or sit on significant home equity they can’t easily access. She first discovered Lifetime Retirement Income nearly a decade ago at a retirement seminar, wanting to better understand the options available to her and her clients.
Her interest sharpened when a friend - living in a beautiful home but struggling for cash flow - took the leap into Lifetime Home. “She’s now got an income coming in, which is fabulous,” Kate says. That was the nudge she needed - with her adult sons financially secure, and onboard with their decision, she and her husband decided it was time to prioritise living well now. “Our children said: ‘Do it. You know we don’t need the money.”
Transforming retirement
The difference has been transformative. “It’s the regularity of it that’s quite attractive,” Kate says. “You know how much you're going to be getting each fortnight. You can plan.” It’s also given them confidence as health insurance premiums rise. “We’ve stopped our health insurance now, and we’ll use Lifetime Home as our backup option… It’s just quite nice not to have to be juggling money.”
While the application process can feel daunting at first, Kate says the right legal support makes all the difference. “After that, it was very smooth, very quick. The lawyer’s questions were all answered very quickly. We’re just delighted.”
Kate’s story is a reminder that retirement isn’t just about preserving your nest egg - it’s about making the most of the years when you’re healthy, energetic, and able to enjoy what you’ve built. Say yes while you can.
*Not her real name.
Written by:
Sonia Speedy
Sonia Speedy has been a journalist for over 20 years, working in newspapers, magazines and radio. She also runs an online platform for parents at familytimes.co.nz. She lives on the Kāpiti Coast with her young family and loves writing stories that help make people's lives easier.
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