Reimagining Your RMDs: Four Meaningful Ways to Invest in Your Best Life

Your required minimum distributions don’t have to go toward routine bills. If you’re fortunate enough to have RMD funds beyond your immediate expenses, this is your opportunity to design a retirement that truly enriches you. Whether visiting hidden gems like rita the rock planter in Colorado or pursuing long-delayed dreams, consider these four approaches to transform your mandatory withdrawals into lasting value.

Experience Travel Beyond Your Bucket List

Health permitting, make the journeys you’ve always envisioned. You have the financial means through your RMD—use them to chase those once-distant destinations. Whether it’s European castles, quirky American roadside attractions, or places you haven’t dared imagine, travel creates the memories that define your later years. Allocate your distribution toward flights, accommodations, dining, and transportation. The world is waiting, and your retirement timeline is the perfect window to explore it.

Prioritize Reconnecting With Your People

Make a comprehensive list of friends and loved ones you’ve lost touch with over the years. Plan a journey—or series of journeys—dedicated to seeing their faces again. Time is irreplaceable; the money in your RMD distribution is not. Use it to cover travel logistics so you can focus entirely on what matters: quality time with people who’ve been meaningful to you. These connections often become the highlight of retirement.

Invest in Your Physical Strength

It’s natural to feel younger mentally than your body indicates. If fitness has taken a backseat, this is the moment to reverse that trend. Direct your RMD funds toward a personal trainer, Pilates studio membership, pickleball league, or any physical activity that genuinely excites you. Building strength now pays dividends throughout your retirement years, keeping you independent and energized.

Redesign Your Daily Life Around Engagement

Retirement routines can become monotonous—dinner and television, repeated endlessly. Break the pattern. Use your RMD to fund regular evening outings with friends and family, cultural events, educational lectures, volunteer commitments, or classes you’ve always wanted to try. Whether learning to waltz, paint, or bake, these structured enjoyments prevent stagnation and transform your retirement into an active, vibrant chapter.

Your RMD is yours to claim. Transform it from a tax obligation into an investment in yourself—one that pays dividends in memories, health, and connection for decades to come.