As Ireland’s first end of career guidance counsellor, Mooney will guide retirees, and those due to retire, on how to build a fulfilling second life and avail of the additional 2,000 hours of free time they will have each year once they stop working.
Research conducted by Standard Life has highlighted the uncertainty experienced by those preparing to transition to retirement with only a third (33 per cent) of the population admitting to being personally prepared to retire and over half (51 per cent) struggling to imagine what their retirement will look like.
Further to this, Standard Life’s research reveals that retirement has become a taboo topic in Ireland with over half of Irish working adults unwilling to discuss retirement with their friends or family. Through this appointment, Standard Life aims to energise and empower those approaching and those in retirement by creating supports and sparking positive and informative conversations on how to retire in style.
Mooney, one of Ireland’s most prominent guidance counsellors and regular media commentator, joins Standard Life with over four decades of experience helping people to transition from one stage of their lives to another. He spent 43 years offering guidance to students at Oatlands College, Dublin and is a former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors and a director of the Education Finance Board.
Speaking about his appointment, Brian Mooney, Standard Life end of career guidance counsellor said: “I have long believed in supporting those entering retirement to use their vast reservoirs of talents for the benefit of their communities and helping them to embrace a more rounded and fulfilling retirement. I am excited to be working with Standard Life in the development of this initiative to help their customers and advisers. Challenge, excitement and fulfilment await us in retirement, but it all starts with a different conversation, which we are hoping to ignite.”
Welcoming Brian Mooney to Standard Life, Nigel Dunne CEO of Standard Life said, “Given the times we are in, we believe now more than ever that retirement is so much more than having a pension plan in place and are committed to guiding our customers as they approach and live through their retirement.
“We all acknowledge the value of expert advice when starting off on our careers but we now know that it’s equally important to get the best advice later in life – be that mid-career or approaching the more traditional retirement age.
“Brian, with his decades of experience as a guidance counsellor, and the fact that he has recently retired himself, brings a unique perspective and skillset which will enable us to support financial advisers and our customers with their broader preparations for this significant milestone. So they can look forward to a rewarding second life.”
Standard Life International dac is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Standard Life International dac is a designated activity company limited by shares and registered in Dublin, Ireland (408507) at 90 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.
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Standard Life International dac is part of the Phoenix Group and uses the Standard Life brand under licence from the Standard Life Aberdeen Group.