Three Reasons You Shouldn’t Retire. Ever.
The “in thing” now for retirement is to do it early.
There are communities, blogs and early-retirement crusaders whose mission is to sing the praises of a work-free lifestyle.
Actually, to tell the truth, many early-retirement enthusiasts are earning quite a bit of money through blogs and podcasts describing how they quit working in their 30s, 40s and early 50s. So technically they aren’t really retired, but that’s another matter.
Still, hearing their stories might make you feel bad that you can’t join their bandwagon. But what if you want to work until your 70s, 80s or even 90s? What if your health is such that you can continue full employment?
That’s the question put to Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist for the Washington Post, by Mark Kantrowitz, an expert on student financial aid.
“I liked your recent column on retirement savings and paying down student loans, especially the advice to keep an emergency fund, maximize the employer match, then use the rest to pay down debt,” Kantrowitz emailed me. “While reading the column, it struck me that we never see advice for people who intend to work forever, health permitting. I love what I do, and my work helps people, so why would I ever stop? Are there any other considerations for people who keep working? Are there any strategies they should pursue?”
Actually, there is a lot of research on why continuing to work throughout your senior years can be beneficial. There are at least three good reasons not to retire. Not retiring can be emotionally, physically and financially good for you. Studies show working gives people purpose. And by working longer, you can save more.
“Those saving for retirement would be better off working longer than just bumping up their savings rate by one percentage point, according to the authors of the new paper, ‘The Power of Working Longer,’” reported Robert Powell for The Street.
Researchers found “delaying retirement by three to six months has the same impact on the retirement standard of living as saving an additional one percentage point of labor earnings for 30 years.” Research has also found people who work longer tend to be healthier.
Personal finance expert Jean Chatzky did a series for NBC’s “Today Show” on the benefits of not retiring. She profiles an 81-year-old dentist who was still working.
“Researchers at Oregon State University analyzed data from a large, ongoing study of people age 50 and up,” Chatzky reported. “What they found was that people who continued to work past 65 had an 11 percent lower chance of death from all causes.”
Here’s the thing. Don’t feel pressure to retire if you can and want to continue working. The grass over in early retirement might not be as green as you think.
Source: The Washington Post