Unless you are quite well off I would not recommend retirement, in particular if you were a small business professional such as myself. So much of your identity and who you are is tied up in your profession, some of us whom dedicated our lives too our business, although I have a daughter from that marriage when it ended amicably in divorce I made my business my life. I digress, I would never have retired had the Bay Area not become impossibly expensive for even a moderately successful individual such as myself to afford the business rents much less the cost of housing, so after forty years I closed my doors. The bright side is I still hear from many old clients, and learned to use a computer so I could continue my comments to The Times( probably a good thing as they could never read my letters anyway) but it does not measure up to going to an office everyday looking forward to spending time with people you know and care about doing something you love. Hang in there as long as you can if you love your job, if you don’t love your job you should probably think about making a change, as they say “ this is not a dress rehearsal “.
4
My warm regards to all Retired!
5
I retired at 45 due to health issues and I thank God every day. We live simply but I am able to spend time with my children, cook, clean and take care of myself, things I could never do when I was under the stress of a 10-12 hr/day job, fighting for a strong review from my supervisor. I don’t miss work at all!
11
Good that this is in "health" not "science." NYT "Science" coverage is mediocre enough without this. But, anecdotally, thumbs up. I "retired" from double full time entrepreneur in my 40s when I believed I had saved enough, and became a stay at home dad and spent an hour or so a day on investments (NOT trading). Kids doing great; in great health and loving food and drink; net worth higher than ever. What's not to like, besides Trump and ...
9
Workers approaching or postponing retirement face a perfect storm that threatens their health. Labor has become digitized, work/life balance is an elusive siren, and investments and pensions are eroded on all sides. Dual income families are no longer confident that they can achieve middle class status, let alone build an adequate retirement savings. Corporate greed, governmental laxity and corruption, and a rigged, inequitable society all negatively skew the playing field for older workers. The age of technology was once billed as a way to reduce labor and increase personal time. Instead, digital "sweat shops" that are harmful to physical and emotional health have become the norm. Many workers are tied to their computers for 10-12 hours a day, typically working through their lunches and breaks in order to appear dedicated to a corporate mission. Salaried employees may make less per hour worked than someone in the food service industry. Personal time is stolen from workers so that corporate profits can be maximized. As people age and become less able to engage in physically demanding work, they are more likely to reinvent themselves to obtain desk jobs. Corporations are holding onto their profits while demanding more from their employees. Of course people have to work ridiculously long hours; they are doing the work of several people. Reading through the job descriptions on LinkedIn shows how the work of several positions is compressed into one position.
11
In retirement, I wake up each morning not worrying about meetings, reports, appointments, phone calls, emails, deadlines, etc. Instead I hop on my bike and do 25 miles. Then a healthy breakfast and a thorough read of The NY Times. The rest of the day is unstructured but I have plenty to do to keep busy.
For those who discredit retirement, keep working and contribute to my Social Security benefits.
12
agreed - even tho' I initially balked at paying - I feel my few dollars a week subscription to the NYT is a valuable investment in my mental health.
Now if we could only get Trump voters to read it !
9
Retirement is overrated. Keep working , it will keep you young .My Dad worked until age 80 plus and lived a decade longer. He stated on numerous occasions that work prolonged his life.
3
Somehow, I feel the researchers missed the point by making, possibly, a wrong hypothesis. For a sane person, it is not usually the quantity of living that matters all that much. What matters usually is the quality of life that we live. For a person who enjoys working, retirement is often a bogus idea. If one enjoys working, why retire?
1
I find this study quite inadequate. To attribute longevity to retirement would have to eliminate every other factor —health, interests, family life, social life, hobbies, level of education, economic circumstances, etc. As someone who has been retired for 17 years and loving it, I would emphasize meaningful volunteer work that helps others and having an active social life as two of the most important factors that may increase longevity. In fact, it is possible that retirement is irrelevant when it comes to longevity.
2
Citizens who work for the state, never excel, never try, always find an excuse why they should take a day off, always looking to go out on disability, no, I would rather die young than be one of these parasites.
I hope you succeed beyond your wildest ambition!
8
I cannot in my wildest dreams imagine "retiring." Who wants to sit around, unstimulated, boring their children and their spouse (and themselves) and making monumental decisions like "should I get the chocolate or vanilla ice cream?" Live like the proverbial roman candle, eat every second that life hands you, be total, be alive until they haul you out in a body bag, I say. Otherwise, what's the point? Another word for "retiring" should be "rotting."
1
Maybe if you've been a single parent, with a house to keep up with, you might think otherwise.
7
The research refers to retiring from employment, not retiring from life. Released from the shackles of ‘work’, one can more fully partake of life; i.e. live ‘like the proverbial Roman candle’, as you suggest. No one is proposing that you squander your retirement years boring people or obsessing over trivia. If you can’t find meaning in family, friends, your community, your world, your hobbies, art etc, then, by all means, spend the rest of your life distracted by your glorious work / profession.
21
and the most common joy and meaning in retirement - grandkids.
I don't even have kids, but I've volunteered at a local childcare for the last 3 years or so.
Last week a tiny girl I hadn't seen while she was away for a couple of weeks spied me, and just came and leapt onto the sofa beside me and pressed against me.
No words were necessary - I understood - Hi, Hello, Good to see you - Again !
4
I don't know that it has to be such an either/or. I am in my 60s and after many years of working full time, I now work part time. Eventually I hope to retire entirely, but I still enjoy my work and my colleagues, so I think it's a great way to make the transition.
6
Our original plans were that my husband would retire at 55 when he had over 30 years with the City and could retire with full benefits. I would work until at least 65. Well as John Lennon put it “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” I’m 63. We retired two years ago, sold our house, bought an RV and hit the road full time. As long as you avoid pricey high end RV parks, travel slowly and are adventurous enough to take advantage of free or inexpensive camping opportunities on public lands or the occasional Walmart parking lot, it’s also a surprisingly affordable lifestyle. Adventure, mental challenges, fun, physical activity and the privilege of waking up some mornings in some of the most beautiful places on earth make up for tight spaces. According to the NYT Carbon Footprint Calculator we’re even below average in terms of CO2 emissions despite all our driving. We may get work down the line, maybe volunteer somewhere but right now we are enjoying exploring this great country.
14
Retired at 55. Now I am 80. Never missed the grind. My wife and I have enjoyed 60 years of being together traveling, doing volunteer work, and looking after each other in dealing with some serious health issues. Downsizing from a large home to a modest condominium on one floor gave us the opportunity to decide what are the essentials in our lives.
16
Retired construction worker gains weight....DUH!
His body is worn out!
To expect him/her/them to be able to keep moving at the same level of intensity would be tantamount to a death sentence.
Enjoy your time off in your porch chair with a bowl or beverage of choice. You have earned it.
Signed.... former carpenter/jack of trades with two false knees and a brew and bowl on the porch.
17
Living longer is not necessarily the end game.
Live morally, die peacefully.
14
so there's really no answer ... one study says this, another the opposite.
So .. do what you can, when you can, as you can, and if it feels right. Every one is different.
4
My husband is what we jokingly call "retired" following a 32 year job in a local glass factory that shut down 10 years ago...he was employed at 3 other places that either shut down or moved to other states over the past 10 years. At 60 he is now "retired" with is small pension from the glass factory and my ability to continue to work at a decent paying job with health care. If something comes along he may go back to work full time but for now he is more relaxed and takes excellent care of our home. His "contribution" to our marriage is more than money.
11
With a public debt approaching $27 trillion, and no clamoring to make changes to pay it down, the last thing we want to do is encourage anybody from retiring early. Caring for the aged is a huge public charge (Medicare!) and 30 million Baby Boomers taking Social Security will only add to an intractable problem. Please be certain our Millenial children will not pay half their salaries to support a cohort of early retirees. The exact opposite is true, and many retirees can look forward to Dickensian circumstances.
1
Raise the Soc. Sec. cap and problem is solved. Easy.
Yes, people have been say thus for decades.
Why should income above $108,000 be exempt?!
Why is investment earnings exempt?! Capital gains exempt?!
Raise the cap!
Dickensian is here already.
For the wealthiest nation the world has ever known, this is a travesty and s crime.
26
as a 62 year old forced into retirement(thank God I made 62) with an OK 401k(300k) and a small paid off house(worth 275) and 31k income I am leery of comparing public to private sector. A govt worker or teacher can choose their retirement date, know their pension and are protected by seniority. A private sector IT worker(like me with 1.5 grad degrees) has no idea of any of these factors. I have had 4 layoffs in 4 years after a 36 year degree with decent stability..I feel like I am in the "hunger games" and I am one of the lucky ones. I know many govt workers and teachers and they are on a 10 year "glide path" to retirement which means no stress and better health. My last 7 years have hurt my health (recovering well in past 2 months of retirement) and I am not alone. It is no coincidence in my town the amateur tennis and golf leagues are dominated by teachers.
5
Ever notice that teachers adjust to lower incomes right from the start?
7
No stress for teachers at the end of their career?! Lowest starting pay for a Masters Degree. Yearly pink slips. Lack of funding. Increasing class sizes and mandates. Hostile commentators.
Dude, turn on the TV and check the marches in W. Virginia, Ok., Chicago, soon Az.
Education is anything but stress free.
Back in '12 the Michigan state legislature passed a bill that strips retirement health care from all newly hired teachers and greatly increases the cost of their pensions while setting in motion plans to altogether eliminate them. By also mandating substantial increases to health care costs and/or reduced pensions to nearly all of the 450,000 current and retired teachers, the scope and depth of this attack on teachers’ ability to secure affordable health care and a livable, let alone comfortable, retirement amounts to a direct assault on all teachers. It is the latest attack in an ongoing war on public education itself that is supported by the entire political establishment. SB1040 '12
There is an attempt by Republicans to whip up hysteria over a “pension bomb” in order to immediately eliminate pensions for new teachers. While refusing to fund, and or, payback and into, current pension obligations.
This idea of a cushy career and high on the hog retirements is ordure.
Spouse and both parents are/where educators.
13
The pension bomb is real, for many categories of public retirees, especially police and fire. Your perception of the teacher glide path being stressful -- actually, that's the private sector as well. I greatly value all who perform honest work, including teachers and public employees -- but why should public employees of ANY category have it easier or better than the general working population that is footing the bill?
2
LOL. The Dutch. American drones will ignore anything not borne from the USA. But yeah, slaving until you die is so American, it's like hot dogs. Coworker who is 62 a navy 20 year vet, a company pension ready for him and he just got a malignant cancer diagnosis...so he says he will keep working...dude, like all Americans, is kinda nuts.
8
From first hand experience planning for retirement, financially,managing a career,raising a family, paying for their education,and paying attention to your own health,is a task and a half. I got it all done to my goals, but the surprise has been,difficult to earn income on secure investments and manage inflation . Inflation is always with one.
1
It's anecdotal, of course, but I am in better health since I retired six years ago. I enjoyed my work as an engineer, but in retirement I have time to work-out as much as I want, and I'm doing things that are personally fulfilling, travel and writing. I feel lucky, but I don't know if my two kids will have the same opportunity to retire at a reasonable age. That would be a shame.
13
Retiring at 52 after 28 years in the Army was a serious adjustment for me. No more globetrotting, saluting, formations, field exercises, ceremonies, briefings, etc. The shock of suddenly being a civilian with a retiree flag in the study spurred me to find something to fill the void. I became a high school teacher and funneled all that world knowledge and experience into the classroom. Activity, engagement and sense of purpose really are the best insurance against retirement decay.
13
Kudos to you for your second career choice, teaching. My children had several military retirees as highly regarded middle and high school teachers, and just loved them. It's a great way to bring more men into teaching, and to provide boys with more positive role models. I don't mean to exclude women veterans -- they can bring much to education as well. Heck, veterans as a group are motivated, organized, conscientious and civil -- great for any field!
3
No wonder the retirement age is being delayed by the government - you'll collect less SS and die sooner.
I was involuntarily retired by a boss who stole about 10% of my earnings over a six year period and a life saving spinal surgery.
Now I consider myself happily retired unwilling to work for another thief. The added benefit of lower income is the delight of paying less taxes to be wasted on the overly rich.
Had I not diligently saved most of my life, I'd be in deep trouble. Though my sailboat might be a foot or two longer had my last boss not stolen from me - actually, it is right sized for retirement.
Time to live it up while I have what's left of my health.
14
"If you want to retire, whether for health benefits or otherwise, you’ll have to start preparing when you’re still young."
Okay. Most people these days don't have the resources to try to save for retirement. Stagnant wages for most Americans since the mid-70s have made that almost impossible. Suggesting that early retirement might be a good idea is pointless when it's out of reach for the vast majority of people in the US.
But maybe we should be thinking about lowering the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare.
22
Exactly. Tell a kid burdened with $60K more more college tuition debt at high interest rates with comparably low salaries that now it's time to start putting money away for retirement. While they are living with Mom and Dad for the next 10 years.
6
Too late for that kid, unless bankruptcy or loan forgiveness are options. All that borrowing -- not smart on the part of parents, the education bureaucracy or young people themselves.
"But according to a recent national survey by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, many Americans don’t have the resources to retire"
Did you really need a "national survey" -- by the Fed, no less! -- to tell you / us that?
It's evident and common knowledge! Maybe get out of the think-tank bubble and ask some real live people yourself?
A lot of people would like to retire, but the reality is that they / we can't!
A major source of anxiety and unhappiness in the USA. Maybe that's why nations with high national satisfaction levels (also according to surveys!) have sane retirement ages -- not to mention government-paid-for healthcare, care for the elderly after they retire, and education for all.
THAT'S all part of the social contract in terms of taxing and spending in nations which are generally happy - not slashing social programs to provide tax windfalls for the 1% or ballooning the budget for endless military spending!
28
...because in many cases the U.S. has provided their defense umbrella, and they haven't had to maintain an effective military force on their own. Time for that to end.
Studies show that when women retire and quit their jobs, their happiness increases, so does their health, and they have plenty of activities and social networks to participate in. But when men retire, their happiness and health goes down. Early retirement for men is actually associated with higher mortality. They get bored and lonely.
7
My wife left the 'world of work' and discovered that a retired husband is a full-time job.
6
Who can afford health insurance if they retire before Medicare age and don’t have group coverage?!
31
Just a little nitpick but I don't like to see that phrase "maintain standard of living" always thrown into retirement articles. First of all, if you have your house paid off and your kids through college, you do not need to maintain anything close to your pre-retirement income. You can live on a LOT less money.
In fact, a "lower" standard of living -- say a smaller house or apartment, a smaller/older/less fancy car (or no car), more home cooking and less restaurans -- these things can actually enhance your life and free up even more time for social and/or intellectual pursuits.
Anyway, people need to save for retirement but they shouldn't be told they've failed if they can't maintain 100% or 80% of their pre-retirement income. In fact downsizing and a simpler lifestyle should be one of the benefits. The best things in life really are not expensive.
57
Apparently you have neither aging parents nor ailing spouse nor economically strapped adult children. Many do, and some are coping with all three scenarios simultaneously. As a result, they are not in your carefree group of those able to "live on a LOT less money." It may technically be retirement but it certainly isn't a "simpler" lifestyle. Have some empathy.
8
Evidence is that american males who retire tend to die within two years. Unless they have a post-work passion, which keeps them active and engaged.
3
I don't think millions of retirees whose SS benefits are 50% below the Federal poverty line and who have not seen a COLA for 10 years will "live longer". And the probably don't want to, given the way they are being treated.
17
Quality of life would improve greatly if all US presidents retired at 70.
36
All presently sitting presidents, anyway. :)
38
The last paragraph of the article raises the point I want to make--individuals who are able to retire early must have the financial means to support themselves after retirement. This means that they're most likely more financially prepared or better off. It also makes sense that if you have more money, you can probably also afford to do things or have access to health care so of course this sample size of individuals would have increased longevity compared to the cohort of individuals who couldn't afford to retire.
4
I disagree! My husband "retired" for 3 months at age 64, spent his time watching FOX News (which he had never done before) while drinking coffee and eating in the kitchen. After a working lifetime in the Corporate IT world he now has a full-time job assisting the administration in a local elementary school. The pay is okay, he will go on Medicare on few months, he has a reason to get out of the house everyday and learn to deal with new challenges. I am convinced he will live a longer healthier life using his brain.
14
Not working after retirement does not necessitate brain rot. If he stays away from FOX news he may stand a chance. I left my last real job at 62 and am delighted to have my freedom, thank you very much. Pick up some part time work now & then, but for the most part it's what I want to do when I want to do it which is how I always felt life should be...and I was right! Am currently sitting out on the screened porch in balmy FL listening to birds chirping. Am far from wealthy, but manage by living very frugally. I do follow current events much more than I used to which is a double edged sword, but I do try to pick my sources wisely.
8
I was a struggling single parent with 2 children, $100 support per month for both and never sure if it was coming, an average (read: low) paying job in administration, when those jobs weren't hard to find, and you tell me I should have saved? The question is how - by not buying groceries?
The one thing I knew for certain was I needed to be on title for my home so I couldn't be evicted and left without a roof over my daughters' heads. A windfall of $5000 allowed me to begin the purchasing process back in the 60's. I was also very lucky my parents were able to help me with love and emotional support including some child care, and my dear father insisting on paying off the remains of my small mortgage ($30,000) toward the end of my working career.
My 1/3 of his estate is the only reason I could ever enjoy a reasonably secure retirement even with Canadian government pensions, health care coverage and owning my own apartment.
My heart goes out to all of you who have worked and worked and who are bombarded with "It's your fault because you didn't save."
38
Agreed. I find many retirement articles have the subtext “retirement is easy! Just save a bunch of money when you are younger! If you don’t it’s all your fault!” Reminds me of the Monty Python piece “How to play the Flute”. You just blow in one end and move your fingers up and down the outside.
6
"Retired" at 56. Still "working" at 68.
4
If you do a websearch for "early retirement and death" you will also find a bunch of newspaper articles on how early retirement leads to early death. There is a recent one on Bloomberg which cites a paper in the national bureau of economic research. This paper ("The Mortality Effects of Retirement: Evidence from Social Security Eligibility at Age 62") says
"Social Security eligibility begins at age 62, and approximately one third of Americans immediately claim at that age. We examine whether age 62 is associated with a discontinuous change in aggregate mortality, a key measure of population health. Using mortality data that covers the entire U.S. population and includes exact dates of birth and death, we document a robust two percent increase in male mortality immediately after age 62. The change in female mortality is smaller and imprecisely estimated. Additional analysis suggests that the increase in male mortality is connected to retirement from the labor force and associated lifestyle changes."
Another article in the Huffington post has a nice discussion on a bunch of studies.
I expect better research from the New York Times - a cursory web search at least.
(I had to remove all the links in order to get this submitted. A quick web search will pull these up for you)
1
Well I think you have to be careful not to confuse correlation with causation.
Does taking Social Security at 62 cause you to die early, or do people who take Social Security at 62 tend to be poorer and in worse health?
The studies sometimes try to control for background factors but in practice it can be impossible to capture them all because the data is not available.
8
"(Too few women met the early retirement eligibility criteria to be included in the study.)"
I'm glad the above point was made, but rather than have it in parenthesis, I'd like to see it developed. Did women not meet the criteria because their employment was interrupted by care giving? If so, how were their working lives and longevity affected? Is another Dutch study, this time focusing on women, forthcoming?
8
I was a civil servant with the Defense Department in Washington DC, in a top secret job that was immersed in a culture of extreme paranoia. Leaks by government employees are the leading cause of compromises of national security information, not foreign spies, and the employers know it. In the sixteen years I worked there fourteen of my fellow civil servants died, nine of them just dropped dead. Who knows the causes but there were over 100 leaks of classified information to the press during that time when so many employees were dying, and no prosecutions.
Just leaving a job like that will extend your life whether you retire or not.
If you want a good description of what it is like to be a government civil servant read the extended introduction to the book 'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne. An odd place to learn such details but there it is.
9
Why are this guy's feet backwards? He should have that looked at.
4
I don't think they are backwards... his head is on backwards and so is he behind! ;-)
1
Imagine he is not raising his head to look at you. Can you now see he is doing a hand stand and you are looking at the back of him? His feet are fine. Were he not made of clay, he would not be able to assume this position.
Ha ha. Yes, I think you are correct. Thanks for the chuckle.
So not smoking, not drinking and excercising increases life expectancy? This is not exactly groundbreaking. Insofar as early retirement supports those goals you live longer. A more important discussion in a culture that seeks to raise retirement age, place lifelong caps on an individuals medicare allotment and ties health insurance to employment would be to understand how different jobs affect workers’ health. It’s different to be a plumber (mine just retired due to a job related bad back) a waitress, a car mechanic, an insurance salesman, a scientist, an engineer, a businesswoman, etc. if your job is very physical how does retirement affect health? What if your job is very sedentary? Can you compensate for that car commute, if you take a walk at lunchtime? Is it even reasonable to expect a construction worker to keep going to 67? What if you hate your job vs. love your job? In a culture that increasingly expects workers to work more, not less, these are questions we should try to answer. In a culture where health insurance is linked to employment it is harder to workers to switch employers and seek a healthier work environment. Without teasing out the many layers of issues from job satisfaction to the retirees support network, this study doesn’t tell us much of value.
7
I've cut down to part time work and I'm so much happier, much more relaxed, have time to pursue other interests, and I can spend time with my family without being exhausted. Spending 5 days a week sitting at a computer does not make a fulfilling life.
26
It all depends, right? An older single person who would be lost without work and the social setting and stimulation it provides might not flourish in retirement. An older couple, who have longed to spend more (not less) time together and pursue shared interests will probably do quite well and foreseeably live healthier, longer lives in retirement. People are funny that way - they're all different!
10
Research shows a link, but not causality. Seriously, healthy habits help you live longer? That's not a news flash. Anecdotally, a number of our friends who retired early have gotten shingles, have had heart attacks or strokes, developed a host of seemingly somatic complaints they would have been ignored if they were still working, and many have died. Here's to the benefits of working into and beyond traditional retirement years!
6
Best advice I ever received. There comes a point when the time you have left is more important than the time you spend preparing for it. I got off the treadmill at age 60 and it's the best decision I ever made.
15
I'm with you Tyrone! Smell the roses!!
1
Now I am really confused. For years I have heard that senior citizens who continue to work in jobs they enjoy are much better off in all respects, are much healthier, and generally live longer. I retired three years at 68, was bored to death for two years, and was lucky enough to by offered another full time position in my field one year ago. I love my job, still play tennis two nights a week and go to the gym four times a week.
12
I have no urge to retire if the work is meaningful, the commute minimal. Unfortunately ageism in the workplace is real, and it's hard to convince 'em that you still want growth, community, and meaning in your job at 60.
18
Sometimes, it's hard to convince them at 45.
14
Yes, ageism is real and always has been. Perhaps the difference these days is that those in their 60's and 70's are in far better physical condition than their parents are or were at the same age. It is important, and dare I say the obvious, healthier, to stay intellectually and physically engaged at any age.
5
This was a topic just last week with a friend, who, having freelanced most of her life, bemoans the isolation and not having someone to push her in retirement, and thus can't imagine my wanting to retire or wishing I were independently wealthy. Another friend is having the time of his life traveling all over the world with his wife.
Several colleagues, who enjoyed working, died shortly after retirement. My Dad passed away not long after completing his last book in retirement.
Personally, work has never been good for my health (too much sitting at computer monitors, which everyone now knows is a risk factor, never mind other stresses associated with work pressures), so I can't wait to travel and work on all those other projects I have no time for, because I am return from the office exhausted.
9
Isn't it amazing how, in a sedentary job, the affront of staring into screens just leaves one exhausted. I am glad I saw your post since I don't 'feel' like I should be exhausted. 62 and out for me, as the earlier post noted . . comes a time to live rather than prepare.
8
I am inclined to think the research finding reported here are mainly a consequence of a inherent (self-)selection bias.
Maybe those who elect to retire earlier -- when not compelled to do so because of poor or declining physical or mental health -- are more happy-go-lucky (neither 'craven nor valiant' as Melville wrote) and simply have an approach to or outlook on life which ends up conferring the additional longevity encountered in the study.
2
When I speak with retirees, they often state that they wish they did not retire when they did. That they are rudderless.
A major factor, I guess, is the type of work one does. Certainly a roofer or a bricklayer should not continue well into their 60s, given the toll those jobs take on one's body. Or if they work in a hostile or high stress environment - plenty of companies foster those.
But, if one enjoys their work and continues to function at a high level - why stop?
3
'When I speak with retirees, they often state that they wish they did not retire when they did. That they are rudderless.'
Those people probably have few interests or hobbies outside of work. People who have lots of other interests outside work absolutely thrive after 'retirement'.
11
You can still "work" after retirement -- loads of part time and volunteer roles out there to keep you active.
6
@GM Perhaps having a job that consumed most every waking moment contributed to being without other interests and therefore rudderless?
It is different for everyone. I know people who have retired before 60 and they are doing fine and my father-in-law who still works 5 days a week as a engineer at age 90 and he will not stop because he enjoys it and being around younger people. I hope I will be more like him.
7
I suspect that a majority of Americans can't afford to retire if the numbers without savings or pensions is accurate. If course we know that having more time to relax and pursue interests is healthier but you have to be able to afford to do these things. If you're a senior working a minimum wage job to stay alive you don't have the luxury. And I don't see anyone in government addressing this issue.
18
Are we sure its the Government's job to address a lack of planning? What about all the others who did plan? Were they foolish for saving and living below their means?
1
So, as we who are lucky to have a secure retirement income supposed to say to them, "Too bad, folks. You messed up. Now, go be homeless?" I remember a story that Jesus tells about the vineyard worker who was incensed when the owner gave a full wage to a worker who showed up hours later than the others. Everyone, regardless of their work ethic, deserves to be secure in old age, my friend.
1
Those who could live below their means and save were supremely lucky. Many people simply never earn enough in our divided economy to house, feed and care for themselves let alone put money into savings.
What the article could have mentioned was the benefit of having/getting/adopting a pet among retirees. Recent reports have indicated that having a pet could reduce heart attacks among owners by 40%. Pets can keep retirees busy and active in addition to providing joy and happiness.
6
Pets are not for everyone. Why do pet owners feel that their solution is everyone's solution to every problem, all the time? If people want pets, they get them. If they don't, sanctimonious free advice on what works for you won't change anyone's mind.
11
They can also lead to an early death if you are allergic to them!
My ever changing, arbitrary work schedule is what’s killing me. It’s to the benefit of the employer, but wears on the employee. It’s impossible for me to join a club, take a class, or even make lunch plans two weeks out. This a recent development in my career. I’m certain that satisfaction with work and retirement has much to do with having control of your time.
21
My father retired at age 42 (1960) and lived to age 94 5/6ths (2013). That has to be some kind of a record, right?
His motto was “Stay busy.”
13
The countries studied have health insurance systems that are not tied to employment so retiring has no effect on health insurance. If I were to retire in the US at age 55 I would lose my excellent employer-provided health insurance ... and that would certainly increase my mortality risk. In fact, I suspect I will be tempted to work past 65 because I prefer my employer-provided health insurance to Medicare ...
20
Keep your MAGI below the ACA limits and the American taxpayer will buy your insurance for you, regardless of your wealth.
2
MAGI limits have not been adjusted since they were introduced in 2007. Over time, a higher and higher percentage of the senior population is likely to become subject to Medicare premium surcharges. Many Medicare recipients already subject to these surcharges, faced surcharge increases again in 2018 because of the Doc fix passed in by Congress in 2015.
As this is the first year that I am subject to a Required Minimum Distribution from my IRA, I am expecting another big increase in my Medicare premiums in 2020, along with an increase in my income tax bill.
I was forced to retire early in 2005 at age 57 but I have no regrets. My IRA is substantially higher than when I got control of it in 2006 although no more new money went into it after I stopped working.
Your employer's health insurance may automatically become secondary or supplemental once you turn 65, requiring you to adopt Medicare as your primary insurance. That is how it usually works (with limited exceptions), check the fine print of your policy.
4
The American retirement system in lyrics from the turn of the last century . . . . .
"You will eat by and by, in that glorious land above the sky
Work and pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die." - Joe Hill, "The Preacher and the Slave"
2
I am 76 years young and am still working simply because I like my work and am very good good at it - I sell capital equipment to large hospitals across the country and have done so for over 40 years. I fly around the country and always play a little age guessing game with my seat mates. Most think I am in my 50's and health is excellent. Really enjoy traveling in third world countries with places like India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives being my favorite. It is still possible to find inexpensive places in the Maldives to enjoy. Scuba diving is a favorite activity one can do almost forever. My goal is to remain active into my 90's,
18
Over last three decades of my medical practice, I have routinely seen patients aging ten years in just one year after retirement. Rarely, I have seen patients sleeping better, exercising more, losing weight, and getting off their medications after retirement. These are the patients who were burning candles at both ends. My advice to my patients: Too much work is bad. Retirement is worse. Work thirty hours a week doing what you love and cherish this wonderful gift called life. Bliss. Love. Live.
17
This is strange. I retired at age 43 and will turn 60 soon. I am in excellent health. no meds, and most of my contemporaries who retired early (well before 65) that I hang with are all healthy. We all exercise more than we did when working (and I was career military!). My own spouse retired early at age 58, he is now 71 and very healthy. My sister, who lives with us, retired at age 55. We are all healthy, get more exercise, eat healthier and live a higher quality of life than we did when working. In fact, I live in a neighborhood with 38 families, all retired, and most of them retired early from professional jobs (physicians, lawyers, government service, educators). Maybe the key is that we all have decent healthcare coverage, a lot have pensions and many engage in regular physical fitness. We also seem to have a lot of interests to keep us going.
6
You have a strong social network.
Pensions are a huge plus factor. Good for all that have them. They remove uncertainty.
Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think.
18
Retirement is a big bore. If you're healthy enough to keep working 'til you drop, go for it!
6
I thinks it’s Apples to Oranges comparing the US to Holland. In the latter, there’s a nice social safety net with good health care included. Here, Social Security isn’t enough to get by on and most of us don’t have not saved enough to retire.
A lot of us will work until we drop. Unfortunately, some will think the little tax cut they just got will somehow make it all work out.
Sad.
24
Although I did not avoid trying to prepare for retirement, the truth is that I will have have to work as long as I am physically able. I am about to turn 68 and am fortunate in that I love my work and can find lots of ways to be productive. In this age of 401(K)s, limited pensions and temp gigs, unless one has the resources and a generous salary, it is very difficult to accumulate resources to generate the equivalent of a pension.
I don't what if any universal answer or solution exists. But I do know that we all need a job market that is kinder to older workers and that all employees earn enough to be able to prepare.
19
Recommended reading:
Your Money or Your Life
by Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez
5
I found that book before retirement. It was the best book I could have read. What I learned made retirement possible without financial worries. It suggests paying off all credit cards and other debt before retiring and always living below your income after retiring. It works.
My generation, and the generation after me, will be working until he lunch before our funeral.
To even suggest 'early retirement' is so laughable as to be borderline insulting to the millions who can barely afford health care, much less a permanent vacation at a young age.
20
The whole issue is so complex and so unique to every individual, it is really barely worth studying. Even if on avg this is slightly true, it provides no guidance for any individual. Did he/she have a stressful job with no time? Did he/she manage to exercise while working? What's their savings and security? At some level, the arguments made here are obvious and self-evident - if you can live healthier and happier in retirement than while working, it will be good for your health and happiness.
8
I retired early to help take care of a grandchild with health problems. My husband is still working at 82. We are both happy about our decisions and the best part, I hate to say it, is that we still have health insurance through his employer.
12
That group health ins. he has through employer is a major plus. You are wise to recognize the enormous benefit that is. Enjoy!
1
It all depends on your job. I am a recently retired physician and I am loving it. My colleagues are counting the days until they can do the same.
On the other side, my brother's tenured professor friends lament the fact that they will be forced into emeritus status at age 75 or 70.
12
Mandatory age-based retirement has been illegal in the US for a long time.
Now retired for 18 years, I wonder how I ever had time to work.
19
But what do these findings mean for lab mice?
15
Today is the second day of my retirement. I chose to retire early because the stress of my job had already had health effects. It means I will have to scramble for insurance for 11 months before whatever empty husk of Medicare is left by the time the GOP gets through with it, but it is worth that risk. The modern US white collar workplace is one of ever-more demands for more productivity, taking on ever more responsibility, bell-curve performance reviewing, 70-80 hour work weeks, and ever-increasing demands. Exercise? Who has time for that while working? The white collar work week is an endless slog of sitting, noshing, and greasy take-out. I will cost the system far less as a retiree.
37
I am about to retire and I am giddy with joy.
34
The Dutch study was flawed. The samples were not assigned randomly! I found this kind of study pointless. The key is to find a fulfilling job and to contribute positively to society. A sucker can live a "healthy" life but he or she is merely a burden to the society. I just hate to hear "it's Friday"! Well, if you hate your job so much, have some decencies and just quit. To me, the true moral decline of this country is the lost of the mentality of honestly working hard. So many people just go to work merely for collecting pay checks. And we all suffer from their poor performances at work as a society. People are becoming selfish, purposeless, complecent and dishonest. I really miss the good old days when people honestly worked hard in the field. I blame liberals and unions for the moral decline.
David Brooks made his points about immigration. In essence, he was merely saying US needs foreigners because of the complecency. I don't disagree but this is no difference from taking in more people because the society is aging. It is not sustainable to keep bringing in people without a major change of the mentality and morality. To me, if you are against immigration, go to farm fields and pick vegetables for fun. You can exercise, earn some cash and reduce immigration. We really need a CHANGE!
15
Many people I know who have retired seem to have come down with ARLS (Age-Related Laziness Syndrome). They think that retirement is the time to take life as easy as possible. One friend proudly showed me his monstrous, puffy reclining chair in front of a huge flat-screen TV.
An early symptom of ARLS is exhibited by people who say of some physical activity, “I’m 50. I can’t do that anymore.” Then at 60 and 70 and onwards there are more things they “can’t” do anymore. What they are really doing is using age as an excuse not to do things they don’t want to do. The problem with this attitude is that if you don’t do things anymore, pretty soon you really won’t be able to do them at all. As this list becomes longer and longer, one becomes more and more helpless.
I admire the centenarian I read about recently who remained active and productive. She commented on her continuing abilities by saying, “I figure if I could do it yesterday, I can probably still do it today.”
I think retirement is the time to do all the things I couldn’t do because I was working so much. I’m still a self-employed graphic designer, but now I have a small farm with chickens, geese, goats, and bees. I’m having a ball making wine, beer, cider, and bread. Cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood to heat the house keeps me active in the winter.
There is always plenty of real work to be done, and I’m having a ball.
30
You don't say how old you are -- or if you are formally retired (over 63, on SS OR a pension) -- of what your health status is.
If you are in excellent health -- retired with a nice pension -- health care -- no worries -- then yes, you should be doing something to keep your mind busy.
But some people want to spend retirement traveling....or with grandchildren. You can't CHOOSE for other people.
My in-laws spent a good chunk of retirement -- 23 years until my FIL passed away -- in two matching LazyBoy recliners, in front of a HUGE flat screen TV -- watching "their shows" from about 4PM to 8PM (then to bed!) -- but honestly, they adored it and were happy as two pigs in mud! They worked hard for 40 years, raised six kids in the cold wintry north -- retiring to Florida was like being on a permanent vacation for them. And watching TV all day was their idea of "the good life".
Your choices are different, which is fine -- no two people are the same.
31
Respectfully, if someone told me that watching television all day was their idea of the good life, and especially if that was how said person was living their life, I would be incredibly sad for them. I say this as someone who watches a lot of TV. It is enjoyable, but in no way is it the best thing in my life. Travel, study, reading, physical activity, hobbies, spending time with loved ones... literally anything other than the boob tube. But to each his own, I suppose.
1
Making wine, beer, and bread might be enjoyable for a time, but taking care of chickens, geese, and goats? Not for me. Cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood would be tolerable once or twice a year, but not something I'd look forward to. You are fortunate that some of these simple things in life, not requiring any real responsibility, are enjoyable to you.
4
After raising three kids while trying to survive in poverty, going to college as a non-traditional student to try and get out of poverty (and taking out loans to pay for it all), it's likely I'll work until I die. I've not had the funds to put much back for retirement, and besides, the holder of my college loans will likely show up at my funeral with its hand out. Yeah, retirement is likely not in my cards. Good luck though to those who can 'afford' to retire (whatever that looks like for them).
20
In my view, social policy (which translates to policy positions of who we vote for) on education and other major areas needs to change for go-getters like you not to be trapped for years or decades in student loan debt. Far more to be said and read on these matters. One example, see "Democracy In Chains" to appreciate what we are up against. I'm not in your shoes but I can put myself there and am fighting for you. Ultimately, for the country and democracy.
21
I have heard so many Americans in my personal orbit state, “Social Security and Medicare won’t be there in a few years. but I don’t care because I’m going to make sure I’ll have enough net worth for my retirement”.
There are two falsehoods with that mindset.
1. No human can predict the future.
Beyond an educated guess, it’s impossible to foresee health/medical issues, beforehand “knowledge” of Recessions (or Depressions), Family disintegration, or any of a myriad personal disasters that can befall every person no matter how responsible they are.
2. Social Security and Medicare are the most successful government programs benefiting its citizens in history.
Neither program is “charity”.
Each of us regularly contributed to those righteous programs for decades.
All that’s needed is a restructure of the manner that they are funded, and both will be there for everyone who paid into those programs all of their lives.
50 years ago, it was overwhelmingly common for regular job “Payroll Deductions” to service the funding of Social Security and Medicare.
Now that American's income streams have shifted to include 1099 work and investment income, so should the funding methods change to suit.
The only folks who object to that are the same folks who have intentionally held American salaries and wages low for the past 35 years: republicans.
49
I agree with you until your last words -- you cannot hang on this on any one party. BOTH parties have worked to create less than optimal conditions for people -- Democrats have utterly failed to stand up for the public good. They did not fight Reagan in the 80s on raising the age for SS to 67!!! for the boomers -- who were young then -- so today every boomer over 58 is penalized with a 20% reduction in their SS checks.
6
Retired at age 58 after 37 years of work. My advice for living better and longer? Love your spouse, pare down your material junk, join book clubs, read the NYT, listen to PBS, garden, find a spiritual path, keep learning, stop eating meat, volunteer, turn off the tv, make more friends, and vote Democrat. It's really common sense stuff, and it works.
187
Lovely comment!
2
Let's not discriminate against the spouse less. Too many assume everybody's got another but there are some healthy happy old singles.
Everything else I agree especially the no meat. You forgot to mention booze and sugar water (soda).
7
These Dutch retirees didn't have to stress about outliving their pensions or being made destitute by medical costs. Those would be primary concerns for early retirees in the US. That stress would not lead to a longer or healthier old age.
45
By definition, you can't outlive a pension -- it is a payment goes for life -- but you CAN easily outlive your savings in the US.
If you retire at 55 and full SS benefits do not start until 67 and Medicare until 65....you have a decade plus in which you will get NOTHING whatsoever, and be functionally unemployed. Few people have the accumulated wealth to live for 10-12 years with NO INCOME and no HEALTH CARE.
Those Dutch workers already had universal health care, regardless of income and they were offered their pensions EARLY.
The only Americans who get to do this are public union employees -- teachers, police, firefighters -- and they do on the public DOLE, meaning we who pay their bills to retire early, get no such privileges ourselves!
I just met a very nice young man of 38, who had just retired from the police department. He worked 20 years and retired -- perfectly legit! -- now he gets a full pension and lifetime gold-plated health care....AT THIRTY EIGHT!
13
I've always wondered about the resentment of those in the public sector. If teaching, police work and firefighting are providing so much largess, why don't more people sign up for those jobs? Sign up for the police force, put in your 20 years and get your pension. Why begrudge those who do?
I had a government job for 12 years and it was the most miserable time of my life. Self-employed and much happier now. Those who think it's so fun and easy would do well to sign up and serve in some capacity before making judgments about others.
1
I work for the state and will eventually retire with a pension, but being a nurse ( ie female dominated profession) means I’m not eligible until 65 to collect no matter when I retire or how many years I’ve contributed; I suspect teachers are in the same boat. The male-dominated professions (cops, firefighters) can retire with 20 years of service, this is bankrupting some municipalities. Countries like the Netherlands have a more cohesive sense of the common good, few gated communities and not a me-first-screw-the-rest individualism, healthier societies produce healthier citizens. Cops, firefighters, and nurses sacrifice their health and well-being for the common good. Secondary trauma wipes us out and the repercussions to our health and sanity cannot be underestimated (suicide risks for cops or obesity among nurses).
"Keeping active and developing healthy habits are good ideas."
This is true at any age. You can keep active and you can develop healthy habits while still working. It is a matter of prioritizing what is important in your life at each stage of your life.
Also - even while working, try finding little activities/things that you enjoy and do them - don't wait for retirement. You never know when your time will be up - retirement or no.
13
I can only say "it worked for me". I retired (for the second time) a few months before I turned 50. Sure, the hit to my finances made things more difficult but it did preserve my sanity. The key is to stay connected and stay active.
8
I've seen a lot of talk about civil service and pensions, but my biggest mistake was taking and keeping a civil service job in NJ. My pension will be tiny, as my salary is not large. My salary after involuntary deductions is about $34,000 - try living on that in the tristate area. Luckily I get some dividends, but every penny is eaten up by property taxes (if it wasn't that, it would be rent). I get pay cuts all the time to make up for increasing deductions - one pay cut was 3500 a year to pay for health care. And now my property taxes are going up another 2000. The federal supreme court has told the state of NJ that they are not obligated to pay my pension, but I am obligated to pay into it. My paycheck has not grown in years, it has shrunk, while the cost of living has skyrocketed. Not sure if I can ever afford to retire, from a job that has increasingly more work and stress. Better to get a well paying job in the pvt sector than a lowpaying glass ceiling civil service job that takes you nowhere and leaves you permanently broke. And if I have to retire, I will definitely be forced out of NJ, as I will probably be forced out of my home long before I can retire. So don't laud the civil service unless you have a very good well paying civil service job. Otherwise the civil service is a dead end.
15
Move to Massachusetts and live in a college area. Lots of free entertainment, classes to take, book clubs, bike paths. Community free dinners and food banks if you are struggling financially. Lower property taxes than NJ. Senior housing if you have little money.
6
For property taxes to go up $ 2000 in one year seems very out of line. That would not be allowed where I live. There are rules and formulas which prevent huge increases and you are allowed to appeal an increase. Take photos-is your house lavishly updated or just in average condition - and do your own investigation in your neighborhood. City tax rolls are public information many places though you may need to do some digging. Ask a librarian for help. Often assessments vary widely within a few blocks and you may be able to show that the increase is very out of line. You might even get it rolled back either partially or fully. In addition some jurisdictions allow senior citizens to freeze their taxes going forward if their income is low. All of these procedures might have annual deadlines. Look into it and I wish you luck. And don't discount the value of even a small pension. My small pension will pay my property taxes forever.
3
Maybe, also see the financial background of the people in the mix while comparing the early retirees with the later ones? Most people who retire later, usually also have the added economic/ financial stress that adds to their worries. And those who retire early are usually the ones who can choose to do that (better financial standing/ family support/ etc).
Not negating the studies, but how long you live also depends on what sort of a life you have been blessed with, rather than when you choose to retire. Especially when the "option" of retirement, is not always one.
20
This article has a charming illustration of a doctor doing a handstand. Amusing that if you straighten out his legs, one of his feet is on backward. I wonder how that happened?
1
Aren’t they both on backwards? And what makes you think he’s a doctor?
2
LOL. Your comment made me healthier!
5
Either his entire right leg is on backwards or mine is. My knee certainly won't perform that manoeuvre.
I saw a number of colleagues retire, and most of them looked ten years younger in about six months, especially women. I will retire as soon as I reasonably can. I love my job, but there are other things I want to do before I die, and my job eats up most of my life.
36
l am 83 years old and worked till 65, some times l miss work because l enjoy my work, l never said to myself god l do not want to go work today, l retired 1999, and now l am looking around it is a different world than when l was working, l am very close to my kids and grand kids, see them all most every week and they are my enjoyment, but god will call my number l have no problem with that either
9
In the States, those who retire early tend to be in certain professions or industries. Those who are involved in mental labor as against menial labor tend to work years after retirement age. When people do retire, they need to find new interests that keep them physically and mentally active. For man families where at least one person is out of the house during the day, his or her retirement can also be stressful for the other spouse.
3
Is it just me or do Frakt and his usual partner Carroll have the overarching theme that although things could be better, life in the USA is still pretty good although the facts say otherwise?
2
We can learn a lot about retirement from the animal world, and how they relax. In fact, retire and enjoy tranquility with a pet, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce stress.
The problem with mankind is that people think they have to do something and that complicates their lives. (If their lives are not complicated they will mess it up so that is, sad to say.)
Most social interaction is stressful, especially at work.
Retirement should be a time to enjoy less complications from ad hoc living. Even if you are ill, you can rest without the stress of thinking about returning to work. A good thing. Learn to sit still. Enjoy solitude...no phones ringing, no rushing around. Moderate exercise. You cannot hold off death.
Read books about history. Don't travel to learn it; you won't and mainly overeat and drink the entire time and learn little to nothing from castles, churches and shopping and take thousands of useless digital photos rather than a few good ones.
22
The stress of the job, having to wake up at a certain hour, the gulped down lunches and drinks after work, the lack of exercise because you're too exhausted to do so when returning home, the lack of time for meaningful, soul-enriching activity...
Is there a connection between retiring (or semi-retiring to do something you love) and extending your life? Duh!
www.newyorkgritty.net
20
These are the Dutch! Tall, skinny, bike everywhere and have national healthcare.
15
While many Dutch people fall into that category, more and more don't. They're getting heavier, eating more processed foods, driving more and ... 25 percent of Dutch smoke cigarettes! And that lauded national healthcare? It ain't cheap nor is it equal care (i.e. you get what you pay for). I think the Netherlands is in many ways progressive, but in no way is it perfect. (They do,however, remain the tallest people in the world!)
12
Some how, some way, some one will figure out how to get us over our "job" addiction. Its been a millstone around our collective necks since the industrial revolution and it is time for it to go. But, how, damn it, ?
9
Legislation reducing the work-week from 40 hours to 35, then 30 or 20 with no decrease in salary will dramatically increase employment while giving more leisure time to Americans and restore the worker-owner incomes to a more traditional ratio of 10 or 20:1 rather than the current 200:1
14
It's actually quite simple. Retirement like life is what you make it. Of course, good health makes it easier to do things. The best advice I can give is pay yourself first and retirement will take care of itself.
Before you retire, you need to think about how you are going to use your time. After all, you are going to have an additional eight hours to fill. It's up to you to make your retirement a good experience.
7
My first employer told me that if you watched the dimes, the dollars will care of themselves. It worked for me. I retired early and never regretted it.
7
Labor migration and offshoing + changed labor mix + less defined benefit plan + more demand for education + exploding college cost + more educated population support of defined contribution plans + corporate lobbing for soft vesting rules
= 48K -100K job with 3-5 year vesting rules and 120K in student loan debt.
It will be worse in 25 years.
13
I worked as a family doc at Kaiser Permanente from 1989-1995. If I had stayed I'd be dead by now. Overwork, constant stress, no control, exhaustion.
I quit, lost 40 lbs, and met my wife. Probably will add 10 years to my life.
Bad jobs can kill.
42
And Kaiser is supposed to be one of the better places for doctors. But yeah, agree with your primary point: stress reduction extends lives.
14
Yes, stress -but induced by not having any retirement savings or pension - you wonder why our suicide rate for folks 65 and over is so high?
2
The worker who gets to chose their retirement time is an enduring myth. Companies, especially those "acquired" by private equity vulture firms, shed workers over 50 who actually make a decent living and use their health benefits. Getting from 50 to a time when Medicare and Social Security kick in is a slog experienced by millions of Americans. That the retirement age is being pushed later shows the federal government's disconnect with reality. That the Times continually talks of retirement as voluntary for workers over 50 is laziness.
66
Gary, you have hit the nail on the head!
My wife and all of the 2 and 3 decade employees of UniSource were cut loose for something called “streamlining” 10 years ago, which is nothing but a ruse to ditch higher paid - loyal and experienced - employees in favor of $10 per hour newbies.
Thanks for nothing, Mitt Romney and his Bain Capital pirates.
20
I hate to be so negative, but I am 87 years old, and I can say Forget It! I retired early and have lived longer. It is not something to strive for. Science has given us many more years to live, but has not improved those years. Most time is spent hurting or ill or in doctors waiting rooms. Your friends and family have all gone, boredom is paramount. As was said in an old movie: "Live fast, die young."
11
Time to volunteer where you can create a new friends list or relish the sound of silence. American society shuns the elderly. Dating sites, for example, employers not valuing experience, wisdom, alot of creative people choose to live solitary even when young, Walden pond existence. Nature is the best friend for me as long as my senses can be youthful. Oldsters used to have alumni or veterans or golf buddies. But the dollar is worth so much less that lifestyle is what you are talking about.
3
I hate my job and it's getting worse. At some point, I'll just walk away, spend down the money I have as frugally as I can, and then be done, which is precisely what the GOP wants all of us to do, thus, gutting our Social Security savings, private/public employment pensions, and Medicare, but making sure guns and opioids are pervasive.
29
I'm sorry but this seems like a USA Today article. So retiring gives you more time to sleep and relax and get in shape, but it can also lead to isolation. Huh, earth shattering insights :-)
16
Not having undesirable work for a living may lengthen your life.
11
The "real" title for this article is:
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN INCOME INEQUALITY, RETIRING EARLIER AND LIVING LONGER
37
What's a pension?
24
Signed, A. Millenial
10
Signed A. Baby Boomer
16
Someday, news organizations need to stop publishing stories about so-called medical research that confuses correlation with causation. I often wonder whether this is one of the reasons why Americans tend to be suspicious of science. The New York Times needs to do a better job with science journalism. Please!
19
I think civil service is the key here. From age 50 and on in the private sector it is like being in "the hunger games" with peril around every corner. Raises stop and scrutiny increases. In many situation I see (as in IT) you pretty much plateau at age 40 and surprisingly enough you are passed by park rangers, phys ed teachers, school librarians who continue to get raises without the scrutiny (and certainly a far easier school and job workload). I am now squeezed out at 62 and have 300k in 401k and 2500 monthly in soc security(and small pension from part time work) but am far behind family members such as park rangers,DMV workers, teachers who will be getting 60-70k in pensions(it is all public information). I worry that my knowledge of this will give me a heart attack. I think 50 years ago when companies had pensions PLUS social sec(like my father in law) retirement was better in private sector but I can only think of one person i know due for a private sector pension(and I am 62). To get 70k (and in the case of state of conn lifetime family health care) would cause me to live to be 100 and train for a marathon.
24
Alan, you hit the nail on the head in terms of your assessment. I poo pooed my parents encouragement to get a civil service job like they had because the salaries did not seem as stellar as the private sector so I became an attorney. I have made decent money-no complaints, but I have plateaued in my mid-40s income wise while I have noticed civil servant contemporaries continuing to get raises and more importantly pension benefits and great health benefits along with a lot of time off while they are also beginning to take it easy at work while I am working even harder. Whatever I have in my self created pension is what I have earned myself, no one is putting in matching funds or creating a separate fund. My folks as well as other civil servants then retire with 7 figure pensions after never having worked more than a 9 to 5 schedule. Go figure, I thought you had to go to law school, med school or make it big in business to go out in style like that. Not what my guidance counselor told me.
24
Exactly. The #2 guy at the FBI just left (retired), age 49. Civil Service. Don't believe that our government people are underpaid and overworked.
11
@Steve - Unless McCabe worked out a deal specific to him, he is not eligible to retire from the federal government under the existing criteria. At best, he can keep whatever is in his TSP account (federal 401k) but he is not eligible for a pension.
@Kurt Mehta - if seven figure pensions were/are available from your local government, then yes, you should have made your career there. The federal government has never offered seven-figure pensions to federal workers contrary to popular belief.
3
I am fortunate that I am financially secure which alleviates a lot of stress. In my early 50's, I planned for my retirement by learning how to play bridge, canasta and golf. I do those things regularly. I also attend 3 exercise classes a week, yoga and cardio toning and I see my 5 grandchildren. Those are things for me. However, doing for others is an important element of a well rounded life. I am on the board of a non- profit organization where I chair a committee and serve on two additional committees. My mantras regarding retirement: Retirement is a full time job, and I plan to go down swinging. Staying curious and
engaged in life is key to my well being.
Find something that interests you. As long as you are blessed with good health, doing is better than sitting and waiting to get "old"
10
I retired early (52) after my wife died and I was left to raise my two kids, knowing I would need and want to return to work at some point. Now that my kids are both in college, I am dusting off the resume and hoping to get back in the game. I've been aware of the reduced stress in my life from not working and not doing the horrible urban commute, and of course used my free time to stay in shape, get plenty of sleep, and eat healthy. Nice to see this article, I think my time away from work, while a big ding on my finances, has left me in better physical and mental condition than I otherwise would be. Many people I know comment on how I seem to look much younger than I really am! And now some of my friends are starting to talk retirement in the next few years, as they struggle with various physical ailments and fantasize about getting out of the rat race.
9
My wife and I retired at 52. My wife said that at no time in the future will be as healthy as we are now. Friends waited to retire in order to get bigger pensions; some died waiting and some soon after. Others developed serious health issues.
You never know what the future will bring. Get out as soon as you can, even if you have to live on less.
14
I could not wait to get my pension and get out. The job was totally destructive, despite all the raises and perks they threw at me.
Too many of my co-workers left the office feet first "sticking it out" trying to get that few extra few bucks in their pensions.
I never used all my experience and training on my retirement job - I never looked back at the money I could have gotten if I stayed on. Glad I'm out of there!
15
Worked in toxic environment. High level of stress every day. Being monitored, spied on, reported on by colleagues. My health deteriorated rapidly. Had to leave and take early retirement. Instant poverty. Received less than half my regular pay. Acquired debt to make ends meet. Took 2 yrs to reach settlement. Health has continued to decline. Convinced that if I had not left it would have meant death.
8
Here's the secret. Optimize your your living expenses. How much can you save?
Save 1/2 of your income over one year, create 1 year of retirement.
Save 2/3 of your income over one year, create 2 years of retirement.
Save 3/4 of your income over one year, create 3 years of retirement.
Etc.
Put another way: Net $70,000 and spend $35,000 a year, investing your savings conservatively (%5 return). In 20 years your investments are worth about $700,000, which returns about... $35,000. Freedom!
9
You know the average American family earns $53k, right? Take a look at what that family spends just on medical insurance and housing in a year, and you're already past 50%. There is no easy workaround, either. It's not as simple as "find a cheaper living situation" or "don't visit the doctor so often."
44
Except for health insurance.
7
Net $70, ok then spend $6500 on your family insurance plan in network deductible and another $1500 on in network co insurance. Now spend another $8000 on out of network costs because the network has huge gaps. Add food, rent (mortgage) and there is no where near 50, 66, 75% of your income saved!
7
Having retired at age 53 I enjoyed reading this article.
7
Why not keep working if you enjoy your work and do some exercise.
11
This administration hopes to destroy SS and medicare exactly so that people will die sooner and spend less time getting “government handouts” (this administration doesn’t like to acknowledge that we’ve been paying into the system over our entire working lives). Anything they can do to allow billionaires to hoard money, they are going to do...they really don’t care that the system reduces your ability to improve the quality and length of your life.
43
Financially I am set for life. Providing that I die next week.
53
Not to fret soon you will last 10days, maybe two weeks
3
Thanks Dan, good to know;)
1
Not much new. I retired early in my late 50's (debt free and enough resources for a comfortable retirement but put in 40 hour weeks working and helping non profits as a volunteer for the first 10 years after retirement. Now that wife retired and we moved to our new home, we are both ramping up our volunteer efforts in our new location. Most people I know that retired, early or otherwise, are as busy in retirement as when they were working and their identity was not wrapped up in their job. The canard that people stop living after retiring is false.
17
Birds of a feather...
1
Well, let's hope that retirement is good for one's health. By my count, the fellow doing the handspring at the head of this article is already missing one finger on each hand!
15
...not to mention that his feet are on backwards...
14
Gosh, I should have thought of that before blundering irrevocably into the "work until I die because I will be able to afford to retire just after hell freezes over" option. Whoops!
6
I signed up for payroll savings the first day of my first job. It's never too early to start saving for retirement. I retired early 20+ years ago.
3
I hung on to a government job earning half of what my private sector friends were earning for over 25 years. I knew a pension was in the far horizon.
I lived mostly within my means. I bought a small home and paid it off in 20 years. I drive a new car into the ground before buying another one. I started my retirement savings with $25 a month to an IRA, building that to 40% or more of my monthly salary to a 403b and ROTH IRA.
And I worked while raising a child as a single parent.
I retired 3 years ago at 61 years. I work 1 or 2 days a week during the summer. I am very happy and live comfortably. I have not started collecting social security.
When I was younger, I never dreamed I would get here. But slowly I saved when my expenses were high and my salary was low.
Keep your eyes on the prize.
It can be done!
56
Simple. Excellent
5
It all comes down to choice. If you choose to be happy and live within your means, exercise at whatever level you feel comfortable and eat healthy foods, you can live well. While there are no guarantees in life, it's fairly safe to say that doing a few things wisely might add years to your life. At the very least, it won't hurt you. Choose to be informed, connected and caring. And, give to others.
16
healthy living is all well and good, but every so often we are reminded of god's fondness for dumb luck. cancer in particular defies our belief in fairness. we who survive are perhaps most aware of life's randomness; the dying, otoh, look back uncomprehendingly.
7
With more and more people able to save less and less for retirement, this is a moot point. Most people today CANNOT retire when most other people--like those with nice, six-figure paying jobs--do.
And what happens when the stock market collapses and everyone's 401k goes up in smoke?
22
Or is eaten by management fees.
8
“But for many people, work can be stressful, take time away from exercise, and promote bad habits like excessive alcohol consumption. ”
Except for the excessive drinking, yes! this is me. I’m counting the days to retirement, and just being gone from an unsatisfying job will instantly add YEARS to my life.
7
I worked for lawyers for over 30 years. I got burned out. My retirement accounts are robust and my health is good. Now I can do what I want when I want.
13
Early retirement is great! I left my job after 35 years (really 40, if you count the years of apprenticeship). I was lucky to have an involuntary 401a (a plan where one can't withdraw funds until retirement) to which I contributed 6% and my employer nearly 7%. So the first moment available (62 1/2) I took Social and have lived very happily. I was concerned a first about the longevity of the fund, but I don't take out more than 4% and it should last for a very long time.
This may not work for everybody, but I can tell you that I chose what to do and have much less worry in my life. Priceless!
10
Should have included "for men" in title, since only men were included in study.
32
I was fortunate to be able to retire early (53)with a healthy income and good medical insurance. All due to my late husband who had a good investment-related job and he/we saved & invested wisely. We decided 3 yrs ago to move from CA to CO where we both grew up.
Moving any time is an excellent exercise in brain work. If you are able to retire and contemplating a move, I highly recommend the process.
5
I'd wager that none of these studies use subjects' wealth as a covariate. More financial resources mean better health, and better health means more exercise, less smoking and drinking and so forth.
29
What is sad is that in our country voters have allowed corporations and politicians to cut back on or eliminate pensions such that fewer working people have a chance to retire. If Ryan and his rich posse have their way soon Social Security will be diluted if not eliminated and retirement will become a fantasy in this country for many more workers. I guess if you want a decent chance at retiring at 60 or so you might have to figure out how to emigrate to one of the better functioning democracies of the industrialized world though such a move is not easy to achieve.
51
"Retirement" to me does not mean stopping work and doing nothing. I have in my mind a long list of things I need and want to do for myself; things I don't do now due to the time restrictions imposed by "working". Hopefully some of those hobbies and tasks will generate some form of "income" - consulting for clients (ones chosen by ME), more food from the garden, getting more chickens and selling surplus eggs, writing a travelogue, etc., etc. - while NOT having to deal with the vipers and sycophants who always slime their way to rewards at my current place of employment.
The countdown begins . . . .
9
I suffered through 25 years of a government job so I'd have a pension.
11
Me too. Then they stole my retirement health insurance coverage from me last year, literally reducing the benefits package I've been receiving for a quarter of a century by hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Don't get too comfy, they'll steal it from you if they can.
7
I retired at age 58, and currently live exclusively on my social security income, which I started drawing at age 62. I have all the money I need, and never worry about paying my bills, which amount to about $400 a month. I get my health insurance through the ACA exchange. A "silver" plan from Blue Cross costs me $.59 a month. Yes, that's 59 cents. Thanks, Obama!
Key to easy-peasy retirement? You must have your house / condo paid for. Your car should be paid for. You should have no debt at all. Live within your means and drive as little as possible. Learn to enjoy the small pleasures in life, and take a walk at least every day. Make your meals at home. That's it. Not that complicated.
83
Guess what?
Come age 65 you will be KICKED OUT of the ACA plan because you will be eligible for Medicare. Per the ACA (Obamacare) no one who is eligible for Medicare can buy an ACA plan - on or off the exchange
With Medicare, you get to pay the following:
Medicare B premium = $134/month
Medicare D drug plan = $40/month (for a plan that actually covers many drugs)
Medicare Medigap (way better than a Medicare Advantage plans with their fixed $ copays that are MORE than the 20% copay under Medicare B - like Advantage hitting you with $40 per physical therapy session while the 20% Part B copay is $19) - a Medigap Plan A = $110/month & goes up with age but pays the 20% copays
Then there are the copays
Part B = 20% of amount Medicare lets them charge (office, labs etc)
Part D (drugs) = $10 -20% of drug cost (varies by plan)
Then there are the deductibles.
Part B (office visits labs etc) = $185/year
Part A (hospitalization) = $1340/year (& then copays per day from day 61-90 & coverage ends; & skilled nursing is $164+/day)
Part D (drug) = $405
Hit 65 & you will be spending $284/month on premiums & up to $1925 in deductibles & the 20% copays have NO LIMIT (unlike the ACA)
Need cancer treatment? Radiation alone will cost you a cool $14000 without a Medigap plan
And Medicare premiums are the same whether you have a poverty level income or up to $85K/year for an individual (after that amount they go up based on income)
The freebie gravytrain is ending soon for you
9
Not possible, not even remotely. I owe nothing and my monthly expenses are almost 2K and that does not include any health care costs. I have seen seniors go dumpster diving, and I work with a 70+ senior who is a millionaire. I live very frugally and my best guess for a comfortable retirement is 4K a month, not 400. And I don’t live in NY or CA.
1
Another detriment to saving today is technology. With companies like Verizon, whose business model is, every customer should pay at least $250/month and the public acquiescing. And then Amazon and Netflix and HuLu and the like; let’s say that amounts to an extra $30-40/month. That’s an additional expense of $360-480 a year. Boy, you’ve really loaded up the odds against you saving any amount. Ah, progress.$600-1000 for a phone? Oy!
Then there’s the Polaroid model. Sell a camera for pittance and overcharge for film. HD TVs used to cost thousands, now mere hundreds. But the services offered destroy whatever savings you thought low cost HD TVs offered.
Make a list of all your incidentals and see how they add up, and can you live without any of them.
14
Throw out your tv, get a flip phone. Problem solved!
12
Stop watching tv. Read books you borrow from the library. Walk everyday. Ride a bicycle and take public transit. Visit free museums, attend free concerts at the local music school. You don’t have to pay all those fees and you can still have a good life. Join a book club that meets at the library, or join a meetup group that meets at a cafe where all you pay to participate is the cost of a cup of coffee.
Retirement doesn’t have to be expensive.
23
All well and good for those European Nations! What about the health of American Women, especially those single through divorce, who will share little if any of an
ex- husbands pension, who have no retirement savings, and who can never retire in the US? What about the long term health needs of this growing minority who have been so cruelly left behind by our legal system?
27
The practice of giving a surviving spouse a portion of pensions and Social Security is discriminatory against the single workers (whether it’s from divorce is irrelevant). I am tired of subsidizing the married. I have to work longer and save more to retire.
In addition I would add steps to make your life easier. Move out of a big house. Get rid of most of your stuff. Do you own stuff or does it own you? Move to a mid sized city that has a university. Keep working part time and have goals.
16
This headline is extremely misleading. Given that a healthy 55 year old man has about a 1.5% risk of dying in the next five years, a 2.6% reduction in that risk is next to meaningless. (In actual mathematical terms it reduces the likelihood of dying from .015 to .0146). Statistically significant maybe, but trivial in real life.
16
As commentators reading and replying on the NYT Op-Ed, this group is already a leg up on many of our fellow citizens. As the multiple stories of early retirement acknowledge.
That said, please remember that there is another 300,000,000 other stories and rolls of the dice (give/take) out there. Not everyone can, could or will make it. History proves this out repetitively.
Thus the need and dog send that was the idea of Soc. Sec. Unfortunately it didn't go far enough. Time to raise the cap and tax all income, not just $$ under the 108,000. This simple move will save SS. and our society along with it.
300,000,000 citizens rolling the dice of life. Not everyone will come up double sixes. Snake-eyes are just as likely.
Lets save 'merca from it self and raise the cap.
Or we will be stepping of the dead and dying like we used to.
13
Early retirement, another benefit available only to the rich. Unless, of course, losing your home, sleeping in the streets and scrounging your next meal from the garbage count as healthy living.
22
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.
8
My country has turned into a toilet. Since when do we have to verify any good deeds that we do. Most who do good deeds do so for intrinsic value and are taught that doing things w/out telling anybody to take credit is a good thing but Uncle Sam now will withhold things to make sure you volunteer which of course is the opposite of volunteering.
2
Work to live...don't live to work.
6
The best thing that ever happened to me was getting laid off last year at age fifty from a soul-sucking corporate job. I do a bit of freelance writing, but my husband, who officially retired at the same time, gets a good pension, and it's awesome not to have to wake up to an alarm clock and structure my day around somebody else's schedule. Like others I do more walking, more reading and more cooking. I'm positive that if I had stayed in that job it would have ended up killing me.
14
If you truly love your work, then early retirement is not for you.
I had job burn out after 27 years (falling asleep on telephone calls when I was supposed to be answering questions was a good sign of burn out).
So when I was offered early retirement, I jumped at the chance.
No regrets. Stay physically and mentally active but don’t fill up every minute of the day. Relax.
3
A major factor for those in traditional white collar jobs, such as banking, and formerly unionized jobs is the switch from defined benefit programs and medical benefits for retirees to 401k programs and no medical benefits. There is a big difference between retiring with a pension which equals the average of the last five years salary versus living off 401K savings, even if the maximum amount was contributed each year. Especially in today's low interest environment. So, rather than having a choice to retire, many people are having to work longer, way past traditional retirement ages.
27
Many Americans continue to work for the security of benefits. But, ask some of those Americans if they support universal healthcare and many of them, especially those who work for the government (and have healthcare for life), and they will balk that they don't want the government choosing their healthcare or having to pay a healthcare tax. Wake up Americans. Would you rather trust an elected official with your healthcare or the CEO of a health insurance company like you are now? The tax we'd all pay is far less than the premiums we are paying and the choices would be greater, not less. Universal healthcare would immediately lead to more people retiring. No doubt about that.
42
There are some good websites dedicated to early retirement that might be helpful to readers. Try 'Can I Retire Yet' and check out the links. This is a growth industry given that some have tired of their jobs, commutes,or have been pushed out of the workforce. But doing it takes years of preparation and living within your means, not exactly the American Dream as many strive for.
6
I agree and we have always lived below our means.
1
It also has to do with upbringing. Folks whose parents have lived through the depression have a different mindset about saving, and that is instilled in them as youngsters.
Whatever job I had, starting as as a telegraph messenger in 1958, I was taught to save 10-15%of every check, no matter the circumstances. “Pay yourself first.”
It was the best advice ever. My folks were not financial advisors. Just always hard working people with each having multiple jobs to support the family.
16
You hit the nail on the head. Every time I received a raise I would sock it away into my 401 K. I never saw that money where I had easy access to it and it forced me to not over spend and created financial discipline.
9
Visit a cemetery and you will see that many married couples die within two years of each other. I saw that and I stopped working when my husband died. I was 60 and took widow's benefits, assuming I would not live very long. I will be 84 next October.
17
Lets face it, certain people with certain jobs and family situations may retire early. If you are lucky, you might be able to do some fun things while you work. I've been lucky enough to take writing and poetry classes, Italian, and now drawing. I convinced my husband to travel now. Although, he sees how his parents mobility limits their activity level, it didn't take much to persuade him.
3
My life from college has been dictated by the need to maintain health insurance for a chronic condition. This isn't getting any easier as the decades pass.
13
An associate once told me that the time to retire is when you’ve had enough and when you have enough. Well, I’ve had enough for a while, but I still don’t have enough nor will I for yet a few more years.
30
This sounds great. Too bad my husband and I will never be able to afford retirement. You can't save for retirement when you live paycheck to paycheck. We both get paid a decent salary but cost of living is outrageous here. Unfortunately I don't see this changing.
20
If you really, really, wanted to, you could live on one income and save the other.
How is it that poor immigrants come here and within one generation they are sending kids to top colleges and are business owners? Because they bite the bullet, lower their standard of living and do what it takes instead of whining.
7
One retirement thought for Americans is to exit stage left when retirement beckons. Having to negotiate a new place with culture, food, weather and people not homogenized by McDonalds keeps a retiree on their toes. Learning another lanugage and trying to make sense of local politics help keep things interesting. You can connect electronically with people who still take your phone calls. As other atest, work-related 'friendships' are rarely sustainable. As Charlie Brown once said, "A friend is someone who helps you move." If you really want to live longer, get a dog and have a domestic partner who isn't a synchophant.
33
This is so depressing for most Americans. Not only are they having to work until their health gives out but their life is actually foreshortened as a result. Why not give these Americans a guaranteed income encouraging early retirement and offering more opportunities to the young entering the work force.
44
Because this isn't Norway or Switzerland or Germany.
6
If you have nothing going on with your life besides work, your retirement might be so boring. If you have a positive mindset that can turn the idleness into time for hobbies or other "fun" work. But if you don't really have ability to learn to do new things, it might be a very short retirement. I honestly don't want unhealthy retirees or workers spending their life savings to beat cancer when their life isn't really worth it saving with medical bankruptcy.
9
Could it be not retirement itself but the financial wherewithal to retire early that is the defining factor?
I know a lot of people in their early sixties, and those who can afford to retire are literally counting the days till it is possible. The others are envisioning a lifetime of work at increasingly unrewarding jobs till they drop dead.
45
This directly contradicts known data for men. For men, those who retire early have a much higher mortality than those who keep working.
6
Source?
3
I would live a longer life too if I had the money to retire early!
19
But do those other countries have better outcomes because they have better health care?
16
I don't think most can afford to retire early OR live longer.
22
Every single day of my working life I hated working. Then I resented getting squeezed out too soon, caught short by a downturned economy and ageism. The American Dream, bah.
10
The first and foremost goal to retirement is to have enough money to live reasonably well; not everyone can. The worry about money will take off years.
The countries with the best longevity are those where government is there with a helping hand. Those that have health care for all from cradle to the grave have better health to begin with.
53
"In other words, it isn’t retirement itself that affects health, but what you do in retirement."
In other words, retirement is pretty much irrelevant. It isn't working that effects your health either, but what you do while working.
18
The 401k has been an out for many of us to leave stressful, unsatisfying jobs without impacting our future retirement.
6
Seven years ago, I was able to retire on my 50th birthday and leave big city life behind. Now, I try to sleep 8 hours a night and the days are filled with dog hikes, yoga, spinning, gym, reading, cooking, home maintenance and travel when we feel like it.
I don't know how I ever found time to go to work. Yes, I'm grateful and I do know how extremely fortunate I am. In my experience, early retirement is a goal well-worth pursuing.
86
I have my eye on Santa Fe - sounds like it has worked well for you.
8
I too, retired to Santa Fe, where I had been coming to visit friends for 22 years before I retired here. I retired "early" at 60. I already had a base of friends here and am never bored. What do you do in retirement? Anything you want to do or don't feel like doing. It's that simple. That's if you've planned ahead. I planned for 22 years.
10
Santa Fe is beautiful, with exquisite views, lots of culture, access to miles of hiking, horseback riding, skiing. It is a wonderful retirement community if you can afford a $ 1,000,000 and up house.
It is likely we are mixing correlation with causation.
I suspect the men who continued working were more likely to die earlier for other reasons entirely. Like being divorced with additional financial burdens. Or just being single. My experience with my 50 something friends when I was working is that the ones without a significant other were likely to be married to their jobs.
A man without a significant other will die younger, that is a well understood statistic.
14
Note that the main study supporting this article was done in the Netherlands and based upon Dutch government employees, with generous retirement and medical benefits!
There is some fine print about a US study, but it is questionable that this applies to the US where the situation, especially for the generation close to retirement now is pretty insecure, what with pensions being a rarity and medical care very expensive until Medicare.
75
"Note that the main study supporting this article was done in the Netherlands and based upon Dutch government employees, with generous retirement and medical benefits!" My immediate reaction; the results are not all all generalizable to the U.S.
1
Do you know how much my life expectancy would go up if I had a pension ? about 90% or at least I would be 90% happier. Retire at 55 with a pension ? That is lottery talk.
113
I retired last year and am enjoying it. I’m doing some consulting, not enough to so I feel like I’m working again but just enough to keep me a little busy and my mind sharp.
14
Retiring early can be considered a luxury if you start thinking about it in your fifties. Early planning is the key. To that end I have made it my life's work to ensure my kids (25 & 22) are aggressively working toward retiring at age 50 IF THEY WANT TO.
It all comes down to 30 years of financial discipline and a good deal of luck.
Too many Americans show up to their sixties so unprepared physically and financially, and if I had to guess about 90% of those folks are in that spot because of poor decision making over 30 years.
You do have a say as to what age 60 to 75 will be like.
16
This is true as far as it goes. But we need to remember that the retirement income landscape has changed dramatically in the last 20 years or so, from many companies offering defined benefit plans, to most companies moving to defined contribution plans (401k). That, and the rising age range for social security and removal of the spouse benefit option mean that a secure income in one's retirement has become mostly a function of what you managed to save.
For previous generations it was a bit more straightforward. And they didn't have to worry about living to 100 - making it to 70 or 75 was about all anyone expected.
Different times now. Younger generations will be much better prepared than those of us who recently retired or are staring down retirement in the next 5-10 years.
30
@Tom
Much of that is urban myth. The life expectancy at 65 has risen a bit, but not all that much. Most of us will still be dead in less than 20 years.
The problem is not the change from "defined benefit" to "defined contribution", its from an actuarial based plans to individual savings. That's why we all have to worry about having enough money to live to 100, even though only a tiny percentage of us actually will.
The core of most people's retirement is going to remain actuarial based social security benefits. You will need close to a million dollars adjusted for inflation to match the typical social security benefits of a working couple. That is tough to achieve when the finance industry fees are taking 2% of the money you have saved every year. And even that is a bit doubtful since its likely at some point a market crash will drive a huge hole even in a million dollar nest egg.
The reality is the United States retirement and pension system has been hijacked to line the pockets of wall street and the other parts of the finance industry. Since they are also the primary financiers of political campaigns its unlikely that is going to change in the near future.
6
Sil,
Planning goes a long way.
But you nailed it with "...a good deal of luck."
Roll that dice 300,000,000 more times and the lucky breaks cant come up for everyone.
Our society needs to be better prepared for those that come up snake-eyes.
Many don't have a say as to what age 60 to 75 will be like.
16
My husband and I are in our mid to late 50s and contemplating retirement in the next couple of years, if not sooner. We've both been fortunate enough to have above average paying jobs in technology, which we noticed in our early 40s didn't seem to age all that well. We've been pretty frugal, usually living mostly on one income, so retiring early won't be too much of a change for us. I'm grateful we have the choice to leave before we will probably not be as welcome anymore. I'm looking forward to doing other things, don't think I will miss the office a bit.
29
"we've both been fortunate..." to say the least!...you may very well live longer not working than you did working...while others who worked just as hard will work until they die...
4
My greatest fear about retiring before 65 is having enough money to cover medical care and insurance. We've got plenty of interests to keep us busy and intellectually stimulated; it's keeping up with health care costs that is most worrisome. Even those in good health need insurance and accidents can happen to anyone.
82
A pension?
32
I've heard of those . . . . . . kinda like unicorns . . . . .
9
94% of Americans DO NOT have pensions.
We are mostly hearing here from the lucky few who still have them -- plus public union employees -- plus the very, very rich.
6
Vulcan Wisdom (haiku) "The earlier you - retire the longer you - will live and prosper"
6
When I read the headline, I thought the article was advocating for going to bed early. Oh, well. I don't get everything right.
26
I think there is probably a strong co-relation between having saved enough money to retire early and being the kind of person who also tends to work out, eat healthy, be frugal, etc.
31
And perhaps being in the socioeconomic class where you can AFFORD to retire early! Remember, there are many, many people who work hard and save what the can - but don't make enough money to save enough for an early retirement!
11
the strongest determinant of a successful life is the ability to defer gratification
this would be associated with 'the kind of person who also tends to work out, eat healthy, be frugal'
5
When I returned to the office after burying my mother in 2015, I lost interest in work and could no longer handle work-related stress. I took a buyout in 2016 and retired at the age of 58. I turn 60 later this week. I am enjoying my free time and can do exactly what I want when I want. I do not miss working at all. As another commenter said, retirement is what you make of it.
53
Most people retire early because of health reasons.
I question almost all data on the correlation unless that information is clearly understood and taken into account in the data.
Do a survey of life long healthy people who retire early and get back to me! Also, the majority of people are not married, divorced, or widowed. So do a health study on them in early retirement too.
3
I was able to retire at age 43 because I own rental property, and that's the best thing I've ever done in my life. Not having a boss has been a life saver for me. And there is no connection between any disease rates and retirement as much of that is genetic and much is due to personal habits whether you work or not. For me retirement is heaven on earth.
11
Rental property saved me too! I always liked play more than work, so retired at 62, and have had a duplex. Grew up on a farm so was always used to being and outdoor person. Northern California countryside and beaches offer the best there could possibly be. No mortgage helps!
4
Yes, everyone should own rental property! Wait, that wouldn't work if everyone owned a rental... Who would they rent to?
4
As we were approaching retirement age, I told my husband he needed to identify his "passion"... something he always wanted to do but didn't have time for when he was working, and make it his priority when he was retired. Yeah, truthfully, I just didn't want him sitting around watching TV. He took me at my word and, when he was involuntarily retired two years early, he got into it wholeheartedly! (www.historicrescue.com) Now he is enjoying retirement more than anything, except our grandchildren. I was also involuntarily retired, but it took me longer to take my own advice, and identify that passion. I am there now, and definitely enjoying it. However, we were lucky enough to have the financial part in place. Had I been on my own, I would not have that luxury; I worked for nonprofits, the road to ruin in retirement. It took a strong partnership between us, and an agreement that I would raise our two special-needs children, then go back to work, with a focus on saving the world, while he focused on making money for our later years.
14
Lowering your standard of living may lead to healthier and/or less eating. Walking and sharing rides result in more socialization and exercise...and Jordan Peterson advocates volunteering for mental health!
8
Work for many older people is nothing a crutch masquerading as a raison d'être. Only once you've retired do you discover how little making your masters happy actually contributed to making your world go around.
23
I plan on retiring when I’m dead.
9
Love the candid appraisals of the contemporary workplace here. I'm always surprised there isn't more written about the cesspool -- or is it a snake pit? -- that is the American office (though on-point comedies like The Office provided welcome validation to the longsuffering wage slave). Idiot bosses, abusive bosses, unreasonable requests, constant layoffs resulting in the doubling of the workload for those left standing -- I thank God daily that I was able to afford retirement in my late 50's. I echo some of the comments here -- save your money and invest wisely. It's much nicer to have your money work for you than for you to work for money. And the freedom to donate the high heels and business suits and actually enjoy whatever life remains to you! Priceless!
69
I knew I could retire without touching investments because of a previous career covered by a DB PERA pension plan that I was already drawing on. But I did not go to work for the income, but for the contributions I could make and the mental stimulation received.
That all changed after the research management position I held was de-funded and I was directed into administrative paper-pushing. So I walked away from that organization, with minimum notice, without looking back and with no regrets. That was 12 years ago. Best move I ever made, and I'm grateful for having had the option.
18
Working out and eating well are the most important areas to focus on. I am planning on retiring in 10 years at 55. 2017 has been the best year for earnings in my retirement accounts. My hope is that we continue to have a Republican in office so the economy is strong for worker bees like myself
7
Ben,
Best check US history. Republicans are always associated with recessions and depressions. Have you already forgotten the Bush years? Guess who it was that lead to a record stock market, Corp. profits and deficit reduction?! (after bailing out Wall street of course) http://politicsthatwork.com/blog/which-party-is-better-for-the-economy.php
146
Ben- Goldman Sachs expects a correction to the Stock Market this year and so does Allianz. What this means is that investments will decrease by 10 to 20 percent. For some that will not matter. But if you have 3 million in investments and take out 3 percent annually, this could be a problem because your 3 million could go down to 2.4 million. Make sure you have at least 2 years of cash socked away to live off of unless you have a great pension and have millions and millions of assets. Don’t forget the 2008 correction under George Bush. That took years for many to recover from. However I saw it as a great opportunity to invest since stocks were so cheap and we renovated our house because I could pay cash and people were desperate for work and I got great deals.
20
Well, Ben, here we are. I'd be interested to hear what you think now. Dobby's sock hinted at it, and anon got it exactly right, hardly more than a week before it happened.
But of course, after the Trump bump, now we're in the Obama recession, right?
1
The article misses the other side of selection bias: sure, some folks retire early because they're sick, but all things being equal, I'd bet the healthy, early retirees are those who've had a more fortunate life overall: more professional and financial success through their working lives, which leads to better health outcomes. The people who would like to retire but can't because of financial necessity are suffering twice for their needs.
107
Why is it you assume more professional and financial success are just luckier?
Since when is hard work, ongoing training, frugality, wise and consistent investing, etc. all luck?
I believe this kind of thinking is a common left wing blind spot. Is the correlation between success and hard work perfect? Of course not. Pretending it's just luck is hugely biased.
Of course, if this were true, it would be a big excuse to have a huge nanny state, which is why I strongly suspect the left tends more toward this way of thinking.
6
They're not *just* lucky, but maybe haven't suffered devastating illness or job layoffs or other economic downturns beyond their control.
3
It's more about creating a level playing field than a nanny state. Not all us are born with a silver spoon in our mouth.
2
Working in America, even white collared jobs, is really bad for one's health. The face time of sitting 8-9 hours per day, the stress, the constant humiliation of an employee by the corporation, reducing the working space, privacy, dignity, can all have negative affect on health and don't forget the stress of the commute.
163
"If you want to retire, whether for health benefits or otherwise, you'll have to start preparing when you're still young." Thank you, Captain Obvious!
When I was young, I just about lived paycheck-to-paycheck b/c as a female, I was underpaid for what I did, AND I was paying off student loans for 10 years. At times I held a full-time job and TWO part-time jobs to be able to stay afloat - this despite holding a Master's Degree from a good university. Do you think, in my 20's & in those circumstances, I was in a position to save for retirement?
Now that I'm a senior citizen, the GOP would like to take Social Security and Medicare away from me, given what a lazy slug & drain on the Treasury I am (according to them).
Maybe the preparation I should have done when young was to have picked parents who'd have left me a trust fund.
As it is, I know plenty of people who *have* to work until age 70, and quite a few who are trying to work to age 72-75 just to TRY to insure that they'll be able to have enough money to live out their lives in decent circumstances.
It also doesn't help that so many pension plans are underfunded and may go belly-up.
And I truly don't know how I could have improved my ability to save when I was young.
So what were you saying about retiring early?
246
What type of masters degree do you have?
5
Preach, sister!
10
Saving is not optional and people need to stop treating it that way. Everyone at every age should be setting aside at least a few bucks from each paycheck. Get a roommate, go hungry, do what it takes but don't spend to the hilt and then complain you are poor later.
9
My parents are active as can be, only active on their own terms now and I find this grand. They learn and work and play hard and look forward to tomorrow.
11
i feared my father's retirement would mark the beginning of the end -- as a physician, his job wasn't just his livelihood, it was his entire identity. without the white coat there would be nothing left to him.
so now medical journals go straight to recycling. he knows his grandkids; skis downhill; plays non-doctor tennis. it's as if he has become the man he was meant to be.
190
My father too was a physician. At some point he started to gradually reduce his work load but he did not actually stop practicing medicine until he was in his 80s and physically was unable; his mind stayed sharp and he continued to read medical journal almost to his death because he liked learning for its own sake.
His logic, to which I subscribe, was "if retirement is to allow a person to do what that person always wanted to do, why would I stop doing what I've always wanted to do?" Now that I am in my "retirement years" I've followed that same path ... continuing to do what I did before, albeit at a reduced scale, because I love what I do.
22
As a recently retired physician (74 y/o) I totally agree with your father. Until the day I closed my office I looked forward to caring for my patients. Now I a volunteer physician at a number of free clinics and am always looking for others to volunteer at. Hopefully I will be able to continue to do this indefinitely. Your father was a very wise man.
2
Can't argue with that. How many have a career in which they are doing what they would do if they could do anything in the world?
2
The key is having the savings or resources to retire. Lack of resources would increase stress and shorten one's life.
I intended on retiring at 55 to enjoy what health I had left but my boss had other ideas. He stole over $80K in earnings over six years and fired me after 22 years of highly productive profitable service to get away with the theft. I tolerated six years of abusive threats and provably false accusations that took a heavy toll on my health. Indeed, I ended up with a spinal cord infection, emergency surgery @ 4AM Sunday morning Thanksgiving week, a 3-week hospital stay, and months of rehabilitation with an anti-biotic PICC line in me. I was left with some paralysis and severe pain. Silly me I continued working from the hospital bed - thanks Wi-Fi - to distract from pain, as my doctors noted in my charts.
Involuntarily retired, I have no intentions of going back to work for another thief to squander what's left of my health making others rich and paying taxes to a government that abandoned me on behalf of a thief.
Fortunately I lived frugally and responsibly saved. Nothing wrong with living comfortably and frugally even through retirement.
I am certain I would have lost many more years of my life to my thieving boss had I not been wrongfully fired. Now I can pursue recovering as much of my health as I can, and do what I enjoy doing - while paying a lot less in taxes that subsidize the wealthy!
Thanks Obama for an improving economy, stock market and Obamacare.
75
There are several great guest posts on the blog on the site Retirement And Good Living about longevity during retirement and the things retirees across the globe are doing including physical and mental exercises, staying socially active, volunteering, traveling and more.
3
Mary- You spend a lot of your time going from site to site making comments marketing your blog but pretending to be objective. That's not a nice thing to do.
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It is not my blog/site but I do know some of the guests who contributed to the blog. It is one of the better retirement sites on the web with a wealth of information.
1
I offer part personal story and part national programs that show how retirement can be a whole new and great life.
First things first, National Programs.
I retired at age 64 instead of 65 and moved to Sweden. There the Universal Health Care Program has provided me with very fine care without that other kind of care, that is having to care about how I am going to pay. Imagine getting 3 stents for free, now 10 years in place letting me run.
Also of major importance is a smoothly functioning public transportation system unimaginable in my New England USA. Every 2 or 3 weeks I use this seamless transportation system to travel back and forth from Linköping to an island on the Swedish west coast. The surface of the roads that the busses roll on are just about perfect - you do not believe that. Come and I will show you.
Also public: Forests with trails all open to the public where I can run, observe nature, and enjoy month in and month out. Same for the coast.
Personal: Three things worked together. I have worked part time for 18 years reviewing the English language in medical research manuscripts and then fully editing - my Enkla firman is Right English. I love that job and learn endlessly from it.
I have been a volunteer at the Red Cross in Linköping for 18 years, interaction with colleagues from everywhere and asylum seekers and new citizens from even more places than everywhere. Always a high point of each week
And welcome in AM Blås, Ansgars church wind orchestra!
47
But you need to speak Swedish, don't you?
10
Does Sweden allow older people that to emigrate to the country and get health insurance also? This is quite different from what I've heard of most European countries.
15
@ Moira Rogow - Even during my 1st year in Sweden, 1991-92 I was covered by Swedish health program, perhaps because my wife was Swedish citizen. Once we came for good I then at first had permanent residence permit so was covered fully and then became a citizen also covered. I will be at the Red Cross this afternoon and will ask people who came as asylum seekers or even have just come if they are covered. Thanks for posing the question.
1
Kids: study hard, get good grades, and find a career you can tolerate that pays really well. None of this "follow what you love" nonsense.
When you get a job that pays a high amount, you can live off a quarter of it, pay a quarter of it in taxes, and save & invest the rest in an index fund; and after about 10 years, you won't need to work for money anymore. Then you can do whatever you want to while you're still young enough to enjoy life, and more importantly, not have to worry about still working a menial job at age 70.
106
Um, in what field would one find jobs like this?
9
Do a Google on "Mr Money Moustache" and you'll see.
David G. Humbug! After your 20 years of mercenary service, the compounding and cascading effects of the materially driven decisions will leave you in a completely different place, than if you had developed a core talent, doing things that complement your true nature. So, yes, you might be financially able to retire... but, to what?
3
As for living longer, I tend to agree with the sentiment of historian and social critic Christopher Lasch, "I despise the cowardly clinging to life, purely for the sake of life, that seems so deeply ingrained in the American temperament."
10
Fear of death is hardly unique to Americans. The Chinese emperors were obsessed with the search for immortality, as were Ponce de Leon and all those others seekers of the Fountain of Youth or the Philosopher's Stone or the Elixir of Life or whatever each culture called it.
9
Israel, England, Germany and other European countries provide affordable (or cost free) health care in retirement and good access to it.
45
This pretty much goes with the equality of life theory ie putting it in a physics term for every action there is a reaction.
In other words, whatever you do in life, there is a good side and bad side or fun side and not so fun side.
As mentioned, is not not retiring early that is the key, it is what you do when you retire.
If you enjoy wine, women(men)and song, by and large you will die young. People do these things because they are fun.
If you abstain from above, eat a good diet, exercise etc. you will live longer since you are having less fun.
I hate to bust Austin's bubble but these surveys are nothing new. Stone Age people figured them out eons ago.
1
I certainly will not debate the conclusions in this report. It very much depends upon the person in my opinion. But if one has the resources to retire from a stressful job, it's a pleasure to get out of the rat race. You will likely/hopefully channel your talents and energy into something you like and which may also cause you some stress but from which you can cheerfully walk away from.
14
Retirement can kill. Without the need to get to work and produce every day, the body and mind atrophy. Some people find a new career; most don't.
Men should understand what women have always understood: no one takes unpaid volunteer work, or workers, seriously.
22
Many of these studies are contradictory- how to interpret this?
3
Nothing for me here new to learn. Most people cannot usually afford to retire early so all we hear is made up nonsense about working until 70. Many people do not know how to do enjoy their life and are only able to identify with work. Glad I am no one of them. Life is short so enjoy it.
19
This is a skewed example if there ever was one. Early retirement is linked to one thing more then anything else, more money. More money, better health.
70
The key here is not just exercise, but as reader, Mr Massengill, wrote, not being 'boxed ion' to a stressful environment/job. True is that work offers purpose (and sometimes camaraderie), but there is no substitute for free time. The reporter has this right when he suggests to save and retire as early as you can.
22
I retired at 61 almost 4 years ago. There was tremendous age prejudice in the work place, infecting performance evaluations. The job was somewhat stressful, required unpredictable hours, and frankly also a little boring. Upon retirement, I decided I needed goals and metrics just like I did at work. I wanted to celebrate successes and reward myself. So the two goals which emerged: learning a language and running a 10k. These two goals fill a good portion of my day, even four years later. I drill in the language an hour a day (my suduko), read or watch a TV program in the language, and spend two hours working out, showering, etc. Add to this the preparation of real food - shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables 2-3 times, and my day is full. Every single activity is basically adding to health, though I have to admit I sit for periods that are too long and probably don't sleep enough.
68
Perhaps most people who decide and are able to retire early, know what they want out of the rest of their lives. And if they are at all like me, they've come to appreciate the most meaningful aspects of being alive like being with loved ones, decent health and the enjoyment of simple pleasures.
14
I retired early (age 55) and became a professional musician. Life is wonderful. I will also add that on the day I turned 16, I went to my social security office in Milwaukee, to obtain a SS# (needed for employment). I was told by the person at the front desk that Social Security was not going to last long enough to be there for me when I retired. I took that information seriously and embarked on a life long savings program, assuming SS would eventually be gone. That advice made it possible for me to retire early AND SS is still here. Win-win.
72
People who can afford to retire may also be better able to afford healthy, fresh food, high-quality medical care and other things that extend life.
227
Thank you!!
The Upshot too often conveniently forgets to include other relevant data and facts.
9
My wife and I are both in our seventies and we each still work about ten hours weekly, I as a pharmacist and she as a RN. Both professions pay well which greatly supplements our retirement income. I advise young people to choose an occupation that requires a professional license, then you can work at a decent wage until you drop.
57
10 hours a week would be perfect! Still out and about, still engaged with the skills of a life time.
That is something to think about when career planning, but few young people consider it I think.
They have far too much on their minds already, and retirement seems hundreds of years away.
6
The 'camaraderie' provided by work usually involved people talking about work or kvetching about the boss. Seldom do these situational friendships last beyond a move, a dismissal or retirement. In retirement, we can have more time to cultivate our real friendships. Those who find retirement 'isolating' haven't made enough space in their lives for other people and other interests. The rest of us are quite happy to have our time to spend as we see fit. There is no greater luxury.
100
I'll be retiring at 58 due to planning well. What I've picked up from others is that retiring early requires a lot of planning beyond finances. Activities have to be planned, volunteer work considered, hobbies found , or re-found, travel planned, regular fitness club visits etc. It also requires support from spouses/partners who may be still working for few years.
In some ways it sounds more structured than my job but I've seen too many people just fade away after retirement.
18
I semi retired at 55, fully retired at 65, and then enrolled in a university, where I earned a BFA degree. I began again doing photography. This time as a hobby. I had worked as a photographer in the 1940s until I learned, under the GI Bill of Rights, a better way to make a living. I am 91 and still active with photography and bicycling.
"Photo Essays in Black and White",
www.efn.org/~hkrieger
82
I love your photos, Herman!
7
Yes, beautiful indeed, Herman!
2
I personally believe that retirement is a move to God's Waiting Room, but who am I to argue with a study of unknown accuracy and, frankly, dubious scientific provenance?
But I do know this: most people who are closing in on retirement simply can not afford it. Who can live on the $2000 (more or less) that one gets from Social Security (or Canadian CPP for that matter)? I will tell you who... people who worked for the government, or were lucky, or planned well and were never thrown off their plan by fate.
So yeah, retire early and worry.
21
Well, we'll ALL be taking a seat in 'God's Waiting Room' no matter if we're retired or still working.
Can't deny the affordability issue overall, but I sat down one day and calculated how much I'll be saving each month by NOT working - parking, work clothes, dry cleaning, gas, etc. It was fairly substantial.
9
The biggest annoyance for me before retiring is that it was so hard to get to the Dr's for checkups and yearly tests. You basically had to take a vacation day to go to the Dr's for regular health, per the rules at my workplace. No appt is short enough to do it over lunch time. People tried and that never worked. The other staff felt the same way and I worked in a very large organization in NYC. Many took sick days for dr's appts and never said anything.
My point is now that I am retired I can go to any Dr anytime for all the usual maintenance and checkups. And that matters in longer term health.
42
I love the tremendous freedom and attention I get when I go shopping during the day. Hurray for retirement!
20
I am 73, retired 24 years ago just prior to my 50th birthday. Astronomy, photography, reading, woodworking, hanging with friends... I can still do the things that I enjoy. Imagine if I had worked to age 65. I very much doubt that 24 years later, at age 89, I would be enjoying life as I am now. Retire as early as you can.
135
At my 30 year high school class reunion in 2001 (in fact that saturday before 9/11) half my classmates in attendance had put down retired under on the "employment" question. I said to myself "self" (an old richard pryor line) where did I go wrong? My classmates out of high school went straight to the automobile factories and retired at 48 years old with pensions that surpass the wages of some of us who work in other industries, and fighting to stay healthy and now using Medicare.
36
Maybe this is in part why the auto industry is struggling to stay afloat... carrying all these health benefits and retirement plans of those 48 year old retirees...
@David Illig - I would retire early, but I have not yet developed a taste for poverty, boredom and irrelevance.
19
We are in our 70's raising a 10 year old grandchild. That keeps us young! Can't vegetate! It is fun too. Some stress is good. I just got a short term paying appointment and it will be stimulating. I had a stressful career but I loved it and miss it! Stay active and engaged in life!
28
Thanks for an antidote to the barrage of articles suggesting that all old retired folk are rotting away, isolated from society --- and that the greatest gift to their health would be to for the government to make everyone work until they are 70.
Now, working - if you enjoy what you are doing and have some control over the boundaries of the job, - is wonderful. Most work isn't like that.
To echo Hugh Massengill, the work environment I knew had its rewards - including socialization, people, purpose, and a defined role. But the stress could be crazy making. The work I did carried its own reality based, intrinsic reasons for anxiety.
But the structure around the work meant continually working late, and being interrupted at home for emergencies. This was, mind you, way before smart phones made interruptions simpler. The worst for me was never being able plan for events in my personal life - not just exercise, but dinners or parties, or kid's school activities, -the pleasurable things of everyday life. There was no opportunity to relax and get sustenance for yourself. Camaraderie at work DID exist, but often at critical times collapsed into anger and accusations between different groups, all on edge. ( I remember that it took nearly a year after leaving for me to stop jumping when the phone rang and responding my 'official' voice. And this is ignoring sleep issues).
Retirement meant major accommodations - and I am so thankful I got the chance to make them!
131
Bet your work involved a lot of writing, eh?
3
Sadly, the kids can't retire.
I work in an urban public school and the conditions are ridiculously stressful for both the kids and the teachers.
The administrators are on a career ladder and they have no problem inflicting whatever means necessary to get higher test scores than another school so they (the administrator) look better at promotion time.
It's constant and unnecessary stress. The next time you have to pay more to cover medical costs for adults and kids (school districts are often the biggest employer in most cities), be sure to thank school principals, school superintendents, and all of the sycophantic bureaucrats who surround them.
Oh--and all of that testing? It's not really moving the needle on college readiness at all. It's literally all for nothing.
135
That last paragraph is spot on. If anything, students are worse at reading, critical thinking, and advanced math. But all that testing is not for nothing. Corporations make a fortune developing, administering, and evaluating those tests. Lobbyists make a good living selling the merits of testing to Congress. Think of the whole educational testing scam, ahem, industry, as a jobs program. What would all those poor consultants and lobbyists do without it?
52
Every public school teacher I know says the same thing. High stress and the stress doesn't come from the kids.
19
Amen to the comments in the futility of standardized testing. What a way to build an education system. But the physcometrics industry is thriving and there's tons of money to be made.
8
The work environment of most people is stressful to the point of being dangerous. Many studies have shown that when we humans exist in a "box" where we have no control over our lives, and are under impossible work stresses, we sicken and die.
Maybe some of the focus should be on the depressing work conditions that many, if not most, older workers face every day.
We do well when we feel like we belong, we matter, and are cherished for our efforts and talents. Does that really describe working for most large businesses, who clearly want to move to china or employ a robot? We humans evolved from a time of small close groups and having long periods of rest and family. Business is anti-family, and if one takes a few weeks off, well, in most places, that would lead to poverty.
Smoking cessation tools for the retired would help immensely.
Business is run by the investor class for the 1%. The rest of us are just temp employees until the robots arrive.
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
256
Hugh, "Many studies have shown that when we humans exist in a "box" where we have no control over our lives, and are under impossible work stresses..." It's called capitalism.
1