Working In Retirement

[jeffrey]

Last week, Fed chairman Alan Greenspan warned that the number of retirees will soon grow so large that it could threaten the nation's ability to fund Social Security and Medicare.




By 2030, the Census Bureau projects, the population of Americans over age 65 will exceed 70 million, about twice the current number.

So does the burgeoning senior population spell inevitable doom? Maybe not.

The reason is that baby boomers aren't approaching retirement age with an eye toward slowing down. Instead, many boomers intend to remain active, engaged, and gainfully employed. Many who don't have to work, will prefer to work.

"I don't think vibrant and successful people will just sit down and retire," says Susan Ascher, president and CEO of the Ascher Group, a human resources contract staffing firm. "They have a lot of energy and creativity – they're not going to play golf seven days a week."

If 60 becomes the new 40, then, America's 77 million boomers may embrace an oxymoronic concept: the working retirement... [read more at money.cnn.com]

[murphyc]

The idea is not a bad one. To get real, look at the retirees around you. They get bored and depressed out of their minds sometimes, as we all do, without some structured activity for at least a few hours a week. A good older worker is a good asset to a company, they can be counted on. Volunteers are always needed, we all know that. I know some wealthier retirees in Florida who absolutely could not stand not working for at least a few hours a week (after about 6 months of not working). Our ideas about retirement in this country are nutso anyway, we all should rethink it. Go visit any nursing home and learn from it, it's scary. You need to move and be about something worthwhile in this life because your day will come.

I'll probably continue working part-time in retirement as a medical transcriber, and the prospect is really not all that grim to me. And I personally am looking forward to going back to school and not having to pay much for it when I turn 60 - in my town are two universities who offer classes to seniors. I also want to check out the Elderhostel thing.

I told my nephew who will be going to Ohio State soon (he has a fullly paid 4-year scholarship) that he should absolutely find something he totally enjoys doing for a living and definitely not to get in debt (like he'll listen to me, ha-ha).

Cindy M

[LuxLiving]

"We're all of us prospectors up here, eh, Tyler? Scratchin' for that... that one crack in the ground. Never have to scratch again. I'll let you in on a little secret, Tyler: the gold's not in the ground. The gold's not anywhere up here. The real gold is south of 60 -- sittin' in livin' rooms, stuck facin' the boob tube, bored to death. Bored to death, Tyler." ~Rosie, Never Cry Wolf movie, 1983

[JanH]

I don't think my Hubby will retire. He loves what he does and he gets bored and restless not doing something. He'll go to work early, leave late, work weekends, whatever, when he's plugged into something he wants to do there. Wish he got overtime! I hope he can continue to work as long as he wishes. Both my parents are "retired" but both still work part time. It seems to be a great thing for them.