‘Selectively retired’ is how this former insurance executive describes his post-career life

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In Tales from the Golden Age, retirees talk about their spending, savings and whether life after work is what they expected.
Greg St. Croix, 72, Bancroft, Ont.
I retired in 2014 at the age of 62 after 18 years as a senior vice-president at a global insurance broker based in Toronto. Before that, I worked in the transportation sector, including more than 20 years with the provincial government. I retired because I felt my company no longer supported me; the ‘writing was on the wall,’ as they say. My wife had been retired for five years, making the choice easier. I left about a week after making the decision.
Retirement was scary at first. I was afraid of the unknown. My work defined me. I was used to getting a load of e-mails daily, attending meetings and travelling the world for work. Suddenly, all of that ended.
A few weeks after I retired, my son – an Ontario Provincial Police officer in Bancroft – told me about an on-call job as a jail guard at the local detachment. I thought, ‘Hey, that sounds interesting,’ so I applied and got the job. It’s a fascinating role. Soon after, I got another on-call job as a driver doing vehicle transfers for the local General Motors dealership. With both jobs, I can choose when I want to work. Even after I take a month or two off, I still get called in. I guess it’s because I’m reliable.
I consider myself ‘selectively retired.’ The income from the part-time work is nice, but I do these jobs to stay engaged in life and my community. It was also a lifesaver during the pandemic when there wasn’t much to do. My wife jokes that these jobs keep my senility in check – and there’s some truth to that.
About nine years ago, my wife and I also started taking in rescue dogs from a charitable organization called Home Again Bancroft. Having dogs can be a little messy at times, but it’s very rewarding. They give us the exercise and mobility we need, and our payback is the joy and excitement when the dogs are adopted into their ‘forever home.’
We did worry a bit about money, but we’ve had a lot of experience with saving and spending after raising four kids, paying off mortgages and managing all the other expenses that come with life. We also had a major financial setback years ago when we bought a condo in the Dominican Republic in 2010, which turned out to be a scam. We lost about US$175,000. It was devastating, but we scrimped and saved, going from being almost broke to building up a seven-figure retirement portfolio. We also sold our condo in Toronto in 2014 and moved to the home in Bancroft, which we purchased in 2001.
We’re also smarter about how we invest our money. After about 20 years of investing in mutual funds through an adviser, we decided to put our money in a self-directed investment account at Wealthsimple in 2022. The mutual fund fees were just too high. Now that I’m retired, I have time to research stocks and pay attention to my investments. I buy well-known stocks such as Microsoft Corp. MSFT-Q and Coca-Cola Co. KO-N, hold them for years, and reinvest the dividends. I also buy low-cost exchange-traded funds.
While retirement was hard at first, it was the right decision in hindsight. I have found new activities to make a fulfilling life. Also, my wife and I have fallen in love all over again. We laugh more, enjoy each other’s company more and cherish our life here with friends and family, which includes four children and 10 grandchildren.
My advice for others in retirement is to embrace it: go outside your comfort zone. Also, don’t let work define you in retirement. Your former colleagues and clients will soon forget you, so plan to fill that void with new people and experiences. Retirement is your time to indulge yourself and others with your time and attention.
As told to Brenda Bouw
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Are you a Canadian retiree interested in discussing what life is like now that you’ve stopped working? The Globe is looking for people to participate in its Tales from the Golden Age feature, which examines the personal and financial realities of retirement. If you’re interested in being interviewed for this feature and agree to use your full name and have a photo taken, please e-mail us at: [email protected]. Please include a few details about how you saved and invested for retirement and what your life is like now.
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