As a financial professional, I’ve witnessed countless retirement plans that look perfect on paper yet fail to deliver true fulfillment. The difference? They focus exclusively on financial wealth while neglecting the other dimensions that make life truly rich. 

1. Health Wealth: The Foundation of Your Journey

Consider the extraordinary physical demands the wise men faced. They traveled for months across challenging terrain, enduring harsh weather conditions, limited resources, and the constant demands of a long journey. This wasn’t a weekend getaway; it was an expedition that required robust health and physical vitality.

Health wealth represents your physical and mental capacity to enjoy life and pursue your passions. Without it, even the largest investment portfolio loses its value. What good is financial freedom if you lack the energy to travel, play with grandchildren, or pursue hobbies you’ve always dreamed about?

In retirement planning, health wealth means:

• Preventive care investments: Regular checkups, screenings, and wellness programs that keep you active
• Physical fitness routines: Maintaining strength, flexibility, and endurance to do what you love
• Mental wellness practices: Cognitive health through learning, social engagement, and stress management
• Quality nutrition: Fueling your body for longevity and vitality

The wise men remind us that the greatest adventures in life require us to be physically and mentally prepared. Your retirement dreams need health wealth to become a reality.

2. Social Wealth: The Company You Keep

Thinking back on Christmas, the Bible tells us there were at least three wise men, possibly more. They didn’t make this monumental journey alone. They traveled together, supported each other through challenges, shared the excitement of discovery, and celebrated their purpose as a community.

Social wealth encompasses your relationships, connections, and sense of belonging. Research consistently shows that strong social connections are among the most powerful predictors of happiness, longevity, and overall life satisfaction in retirement.

The quality of your relationships determines the quality of your life. Social wealth isn’t measured in the number of connections you have, but in the depth and meaning of those relationships.

Building social wealth involves:

• Deepening existing relationships: Prioritizing time with family and longtime friends
• Creating new connections: Joining clubs, volunteering, or pursuing group activities
• Mentoring others: Sharing your wisdom and experience with younger generations
• Community involvement: Contributing to causes and organizations that matter to you

The wise men teach us that life’s most meaningful journeys are best experienced with others. Having companions who share your values and support your aspirations multiplies joy and divides sorrow.

3. Purpose Wealth: The Why Behind Everything

What compelled the wise men to leave their comfortable lives and embark on such an arduous journey? They had a profound sense of purpose. They were invested in watching the stars, studying ancient prophets, and being part of something far greater than themselves. They wanted to participate in what God was doing in the world.

Purpose wealth is perhaps the most overlooked yet most vital form of wealth. It’s your sense of meaning, direction, and contribution to something beyond yourself. Without purpose, retirement can quickly become aimless and unfulfilling, regardless of how much money you have saved.

In my years working with retirees, I’ve observed a clear pattern: those who thrive in retirement aren’t necessarily those with the largest portfolios. They’re the ones who have discovered and pursued their purpose. They wake up each day with intention and go to bed each night with satisfaction.

Key aspects of purpose wealth:

• Purpose provides motivation and direction when work no longer structures your days
• It connects you to something larger than your individual interests
• It gives your accumulated wisdom and experience an outlet for continued impact
• It creates opportunities for growth and learning at any age

Finding purpose wealth might involve:

• Spiritual exploration: Deepening your faith and understanding of life’s bigger questions
• Legacy building: Creating something meaningful that outlasts you
• Continuous learning: Pursuing knowledge and skills that fascinate you
• Service to others: Using your gifts to make a positive difference

Like the wise men who studied the times and the scriptures, we too can watch what’s happening in our world and in our own lives. We can study wisdom literature, including the Bible, and discover our own adventures in faith and purpose.

Aligning Your Financial Plan with What Truly Matters

As a financial professional, I’ve seen the limitations of numbers-only planning. Spreadsheets and projections matter, but they’re just tools to serve a larger vision. The most successful retirement plans I’ve helped create are those that integrate all three types of wealth.

When financial resources align with health, social connections, and purpose, something magical happens. Retirement transforms from a financial milestone into a deeply satisfying life chapter filled with meaning, joy, and continued growth.

Following the Lead of the Wise Men

The wise men’s journey wasn’t ultimately about the gifts they brought; it was about who they were becoming along the way. They returned home transformed by the experience, having invested their health in the journey, strengthened their social bonds through shared adventure, and fulfilled their purpose of honoring something greater than themselves.

As you plan for retirement or navigate it currently, consider how you’re cultivating all three types of wealth. Ask yourself:

• Am I investing in my health so I can pursue my dreams with energy and vitality?
• Am I nurturing relationships that bring meaning and support to my life?
• Do I have a clear sense of purpose that motivates me and gives my days meaning?
• Does my financial plan support and enable these other forms of wealth?

True wealth isn’t found in any single dimension of life. It emerges from the integration of financial resources with health, relationships, and purpose. This Christmas season, as we remember the wise men and their extraordinary journey, let their example inspire us to pursue wealth in its fullest sense.

The most satisfying retirements I’ve witnessed aren’t those with the biggest nest eggs, but those where financial planning serves as a foundation for health, connection, and purpose. When these elements come together, retirement becomes less about leaving work behind and more about stepping into the richest, most meaningful chapter of your life.

The wise men teach us that the journey matters as much as the destination, that companions enrich the experience, and that having a purpose transforms travel into pilgrimage.

Let’s follow the lead of the wise men. Let’s pursue all three types of wealth with intention and wisdom. Let’s create retirement plans that honor not just our financial goals, but our health aspirations, our relationships, and our deepest sense of purpose.

After all, the wisest investment you can make isn’t just in your portfolio. It’s in building a life rich in health, connection, and meaning—a life where your financial resources serve your highest values and deepest inspirations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What are the three types of wealth beyond financial wealth?

The three types of wealth beyond money are health wealth (your physical and mental capacity to enjoy life), social wealth (meaningful relationships and connections), and purpose wealth (your sense of meaning and contribution to something greater than yourself). Together with financial wealth, these create a truly satisfying and prosperous retirement.

Q2: How can I build health wealth for retirement?

Building health wealth involves investing in preventive medical care, maintaining regular physical fitness routines, practicing mental wellness through learning and stress management, and prioritizing quality nutrition. The goal is to maintain the vitality and energy needed to pursue your retirement dreams and adventures. Start building health wealth early by establishing sustainable habits that will serve you for decades to come.

Q3: Why is purpose important in retirement planning?

Purpose provides direction and motivation when your career no longer structures your days. Research shows that retirees with a strong sense of purpose experience greater life satisfaction, better health outcomes, and more meaningful days. Purpose can come from spiritual exploration, legacy building, continued learning, service to others, or pursuing passions that align with your deepest values. Without purpose, even substantial financial resources can leave retirement feeling empty and aimless.

Q4: How do I integrate all types of wealth into my retirement plan?

Start by assessing each dimension of wealth in your life: evaluate your current health habits and healthcare plans, map your important relationships and how you’ll maintain them, identify activities and causes that give you purpose, and ensure your financial resources support these priorities. Work with a financial professional who understands holistic planning and can help align your monetary resources with your health goals, social needs, and sense of purpose. The key is viewing financial planning as a tool to enable the life you want, not as an end in itself.

Q5: What lessons do the wise men teach us about retirement planning?

The wise men demonstrate that meaningful journeys require health and vitality, that shared experiences with companions enrich life, and that having a clear purpose transforms ordinary activities into extraordinary adventures. They invested financial resources (gold, frankincense, myrrh) but their true wealth was evident in their physical capability to travel, their companionship with fellow seekers, and their profound sense of purpose. This teaches us that retirement planning should address all dimensions of wealth, not just financial accumulation, to create a truly satisfying and meaningful life chapter.