"Retirement" - How Long Before that Term Vanishes?

 In the sandbox many financial planners play in the concept of investing-for-retirement continues to buzz. However, down here on Main Street and even in elite zip codes "retirement" has lost any meaning. 

Sure, some have tried it, reports Yahoo Finance. But more of them have "unretired," the new buzz word. According to T. Rowe Price, 48% of them do that for financial reasons and 45% for emotional and social reasons. 

The oldest of the boomers, no one in my current circle and only a handful of those I coach introduce the term "retirement" in talk. 

Once you label yourself as "retired" you can be perceived as not at all interesting. Also you're of no value in professional networking. You don't know if, for example, Home Depot is hiring right now. Its signature is for recruiting the aging. You cannot provide input how to launch a micro business. Of course, you don't know how to effectively comfort those who have been rejected for a job or gig assignment or who got laid off. Emotionally, you're looped out.

Instead of retirement per se, I predict, there will be time-outs. Those could be to travel, do public service, care-take or return to school to become more marketable. 

Way back in 2014, I visited college acquaintance Kathleen Huebner in a retirement community near Tucson, Arizona. The focus of conversations was what the residents used to do when working. To me it was Horror. I wondered why Huebner, who had had a successful career and could afford to live just about anywhere, chose to buy property in a retirement community. At the time she had retired. I also wondered about that decision. 

After a brief brush with retirement Bob Iger scrambled back to the leadership of Disney. 

No one believes Rupert Murdoch is really stepping away from putting his imprint on that media empire. 

And, there was that Insider interview in which, Hamlet-like, head of law firm Paul Weiss Brad Karp reflected if he would go for another term when his contract expired last May. Of course, he is still there. Who would surrender that influence and power? 

Takeaway: Take a time-out. Never quit working for income. 

I help with all your communications. That ranges from coaching to strategy and research to writing and editing. Complimentary consultation. Please contact Jane Genova at 203-468-8579 (texting and phone) and janegenova374@gmail.com.


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