by
Carl Hampton
04/09/2007
The transitions from employment to
retirement can seem daunting; exposing many
personal, social, domestic and financial
uncertainties.
As a social institution, retirement implies
the regulation of older workers’
withdrawal from the work force. As an
experience, it refers to a multitude of life
changes brought about by the decision to
stop working.
The picture of retirement is changing
dramatically. The process is radically
different from that of our parents and
grandparents short, and perhaps not so
sweet, experience.
The traditional vision of retirement in our
grandparent’s era was typically viewed as
“an inevitable event,” around the age of
65, when one went abruptly from full
employment to full non-employment. Work was
predominantly physical, the body simply wore
out, and retirement was usually a period of
idleness, and in some cases declining
health. It was a short period that began
when they couldn’t work anymore, and ended
when they died. The key to retirement during
this era was simple: plan prudently and live
frugally to ensure financial survival.
The twenty-first century version of
retirement is rather different. We leave the
workplace earlier; leave it part-time; leave
later; leave and then return OR we follow
the traditional model, and leave the
workplace entirely in our mid-sixties. We
are no longer required to pay attention to
the demands of paid work; retirement is
viewed as a long period of “entitled
leisure.”
One reason that there has been a change in
retirement is the increase in longevity, and
an overall improvement in health.
There are two important variables to
consider in regards to retirement, and the
quality of a retired life; health and
finances. With these in a positive place,
retirement can be a valuable and enjoyable
time of life. However, without the luxury of
financial freedom, or good health, life
might prove to be extremely burdensome.
The tragic demise of the United States’
social security system bodes poorly for
those individuals who have not done well
saving for their financial future, and the
looming years of retirement.
Retirement Planning is a question of when to
stop working, and how to spend one’s
resources wisely; the way in which money is
spent and saved will determine the
retirement experience.
So make sure you spend some time preparing
for the years after you leave the workforce.
It could mean the difference between living
a happy, fulfilling, exciting life versus a
difficult, bitter, draconian one!
Have an opinion or a question you would like
me to answer; write to me!
http://www.CarlHampton.com
