Establishing the habits that lead to a retirement in which you can live your dreams can be tough. Working with a financial planner over the long haul can get you on track and help you stay there. Regular meetings, brainstorming and coaching are no extra charge. Helping you live the life of your dreams... is our dream.

Adopt these five habits so you can retire without worry. We can help you invest prudently, minimize tax and ultimately live your dream.

Much of life is habitual, including the financial side. The amazing thing about good habits is that they become easier to maintain and more rewarding over time. Started early in life, the following habits can make a big difference in the quality of your retirement.

Make saving automatic. Begin a regular savings plan and make a commitment to stick with it through your working life. After all, when during your working years does a comfortable retirement stop being a goal? With a regular investment plan, a fixed amount of money can be automatically transferred from one account to another set up for savings. Start small and increase the rate until you are saving a minimum of 10% of your income. Soon, you'll forget about "the money you never saw." Saving becomes painless.

Shun consumer debt. Carrying consumer debt, especially credit card balances, is the opposite of sound financial planning. It probably means you are spending more than you earn, paying the highest interest rates and artificially raising your standard of living for the short term. Many Canadians could significantly enhance their financial well-being by returning to the traditional habit of saving up for discretionary purchases.

Invest prudently. No, this does not mean investing only in guaranteed certificates. It means contributing to a diversified mix of equity-based investments that will generate the growth you need to keep ahead of inflation during your working years and in retirement.

Minimize investment tax. Investors have plenty of options for reducing tax and keeping more of their investment earnings working for them. Along with tax-sheltered RRSPs / RRIFs and tax-preferred income like capital gains and dividends, this now includes Tax-Free Savings Accounts in which you pay no tax whatsoever.

Follow a plan. Estimate how long you have until retirement and the cost of your dream lifestyle in today's dollars. Then work with our team to create a plan to achieve it. The closer you are to retirement, the more detailed your plan should be and the more often you should review it against your target to ensure you are on track.