Retired and now alone. Comments welcome please

Mrs_Z

First of all, condolences on the loss your wife. You don't say how long you were together for, but nevertheless, it's a massive change to your everyday life in many aspects and it will take time to adjust, so take your time.
But to the financial side; you mention pension income but don't say whether this is enough to meet your regular outgoings and if you need to supplement regularly from your savings?
In your position, my priority would be to future proof the housing situation - moving gets harder as we get older, so I would think very carefully where you'd want to be, and what your needs might be in 10 yrs time. There are plenty of options; whether to own or rent. Personally, I'd also shy away from purchasing a flat in a retirement complex as they can be difficult to re-sell. 
Like other forum members have mentioned, who do you want to inherit your wealth once your time is up if you have no kids/family?  Charities?
Sounds like finance is also a bit of a hobby to you - you probably don't need an IFA unless you have very specific goals you want to achieve - but it appears that you are in a very comfortable position already.
Maybe use some of your savings to buy an annuity to give you extra security on top of the pension income? Then keep an emergency fund and use the rest to trade?

Smudgeismydog

As some of the other posters have said, I think it’s important to understand what it is you’d like to do, and how much money you think this will cost.

Although you seem to have ruled out holidays, this might still be possible, but perhaps in a different format than you’ve done before. UK based trips could work, as it sounds like you have travelled overseas quite extensively. Getting out of the house and chatting to people can be helpful.
Trading definitely sounds like something you enjoy, so allocating a pot for this purpose could scratch the itch. 

I do agree that a priority is to spend some time thinking about your housing position longer term. Would a move to a bungalow, on a bus route, near a GP surgery/hospital, high street and your social circle be important? 

I am sorry to hear about your wife, it might feel like this is not the retirement you had planned. I am widowed, and it did take me time, but I do now feel like I am creating a different path, than the one I thought I was on.

marlot

I'd say your finances are healthy.

What about your social circle?  Since I retired I've joined a few local groups and hugely benefit from them.  U3A in my area is a great choice, but your area may be different.

GunJack

The talk of a retirement flat/complex being difficult to sell don't seem relevant to the OP - if he truly has no family to leave it to does it matter if it's hard to sell, more pertinent would be if it suits him going forward for the rest of his life in comfort.

Albermarle

GunJack said:

The talk of a retirement flat/complex being difficult to sell don't seem relevant to the OP - if he truly has no family to leave it to does it matter if it's hard to sell, more pertinent would be if it suits him going forward for the rest of his life in comfort.

I was thinking more if he bought one, and then decided he wanted to move on for whatever reason.

GunJack

Albermarle said:

GunJack said:

The talk of a retirement flat/complex being difficult to sell don't seem relevant to the OP - if he truly has no family to leave it to does it matter if it's hard to sell, more pertinent would be if it suits him going forward for the rest of his life in comfort.

I was thinking more if he bought one, and then decided he wanted to move on for whatever reason.

Fair point, I was thinking of final home and then death 😉

badmemory

I would be worried about a retirement place because of spending so much time with old people

What I would have done if it occurred to me when I retired 13 years ago @ 66, is to get rid of any cupboard that I needed my step to reach & change my bottom cupboards to drawers (including very deep ones) so that I could actualy utilise the whole cupboard.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

gascar

Thanks all.

No kids, at all, ever. One brother older than me but fitter, doesn't need any money. 4 hours drive away, he has 2 kids but they're ok too, medics abroad,  I see them once in 5 years or so.

You'd be surprised how many women of a certain eau de toilette declare themselves to be my friend, though I've never met them. I can buy my own lily of the valley or lavender, ta luvs.

My wife was one of those loved-by-everybody fit active happy people into 2 dozen societies.

I was supposed to be the one to keel over so was accumulating resources for her.

The NHS screwed up, she died of a "silent" heart attack. GP says I should sue.

I was a volunteer "intervention"  STEM GCSE/A-lev teaching assistant for a dozen years at a local school so I know the teacher I was 'supporting'. Other than that I don't know anyone within 30 miles.

There's a nice neighbour opposite. I offered to get the 3 kids a laptop each but she won't hear of it.

Those are all staunch catholics and I'm staunchly not, so there's a subterranian fault line.

I've inherited  some from my mother, who also died about when I first posted.

So it's 

pensions about 30kpa fixed, index linked

Sipps sitting in currently-doing-ok sectors about 320k

Isas ditto 400k

Cash now 800k,

+ house 650k.

Car about £1800 - 14 yrs old, nasty carppy little French thing.

"A bit disabled" = arthritis and that. I can still crawl upstairs so I don't need a stair lift.

Yeah I'm probably on some spectrum or other.

Grok says I can spend 200kpa for 30 years at 8% net growth.

I won't live to 88 let alone 98 as a sedentary fat bloke and I'm spending <24kpa now.

As someone pointed out, I'm in the wrong thread, sorry.

MallyGirl

My Dad was widowed last year - aggressive cancer took her quite quickly. I am thankful that they had recently moved from a remote, large, Victorian place with a few acres into a bustling small town. They did up the bungalow - UFH, solar panels, heat pump, good insulation - so it is perfect for an older person. He would hate a retirement place as gardening is his joy. The town has GP, pharmacy, pub, cafe, chip shop, a co op with bakery and is a flat 10 min walk from the house. It gets a fair few tourists but that adds a bit of a buzz and doesn't cause him any hassle. He has friends from U3A and the neighbours really helped him when family couldn't cover after an op had him unable to walk for a while. The old place would have been a nightmare 

ali_bear

This forum is for pensions and retirement so you're not in the wrong place. 

Sorry to hear of your losses. It must be a difficult time for you and these kinds of life event can bring huge changes that take time to adjust to.