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Shooting the Shot

Is your head in the game of retirement planning? If you’re anything like TCDRS member Drew Williams, an associate general counsel at Texas Association of Counties, the answer is an emphatic “Yes!”

By John Martin

Even if retirement seems like a long way off, it’s important to prepare properly and rack up the points in the middle game so you can retire someday with a victory. Drew has scored a few points of his own, having been a TCDRS member since 2009.

“First, I worked to pay off my debt,” he says. “I knew I had retirement benefits accumulating and being managed by professionals while I focused on my personal finances, student loans and professional advancement.”

“I often use the calculator to estimate benefits as new opportunities arise, which allows me to plan my future as far as how many more years to work,” he adds, referring to TCDRS’ Benefit Estimator tool available to members who register at TCDRS.org.

Focusing on knocking out debt early can help you avoid financial roadblocks in the future. Estimating your benefit is another great way to project how much income you can count on in retirement and strategize now to supplement it.

“I also invest in 457(b) accounts and a few other types of funds, and TCDRS has helped by keeping that solid base steady as other things shift,” Drew says. In fact, one of Drew’s favorite aspects of TCDRS is that the benefit is not subject to market fluctuations.

But a “win” during retirement can look different to everyone. What kind of life do you want to live in retirement? This can make a big difference in the way that you save. Drew has been cooking up some ideas of his own.

“I love the outdoors, cooking, and cooking in the outdoors,” he says. “My dream is to be able to retire while I am still young enough to sell my house and truck and travel around the world, untethered, with my wife, who is also my best friend.”