CNBC Make It asked three people who have continued to work into their 90s to share their best advice for building a long, happy career. Here’s what they shared.
Agreed. Articles like this only reinforce what I’ve been thinking and saying all along. The article doesn’t even take the position that it’s a bad thing or that there’s anything really wrong with it. They allude at some point to insufficient funds as one of several reasons people “choose” to continue work. Sure, some people are workaholics and some people don’t know what to do with themselves outside of work. The article seems to celebrate old people working later into their lives, without really considering that it’s not really a choice for many.
During a retirement program conference at my company, the HR spokesperson said that the recommendation is that people put 15% of their income into retirement savings. Who can afford to do that? If I put 15% of my income into retirement, maybe, I’d be able to retire, but I’d be in so much debt when I got there that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy retirement.
I was naive and thought I’d be able to retire. My father was forced to retire without enough saved up. (He was fired so close to retirement age that nobody would hire him for a few years and he put too much of his retirement savings in the stock market thinking he’d make a fortune.)
I promised myself that I wouldn’t end up in his position, but my living expenses were too high so I couldn’t put much away for retirement. I figured I’d put more away later. Then later. Then later still.
Now, I’m 48 and don’t have nearly enough put away. An HR person for my company said, during a presentation, that the recommendation is for people to put 15% of their income into retirement. Who can afford to not have 15% of their income?!!! Definitely not me. And at this point, I’d need to put about 30% of my income into retirement to be ready.
At this point, my retirement plan is to work until I’m 75 or 80. Then, maybe, I’ll be able to retire for a few years.
As a Gen X-er, I’ve never been under the illusion that I could ever retire. Simply will not happen.
Agreed. Articles like this only reinforce what I’ve been thinking and saying all along. The article doesn’t even take the position that it’s a bad thing or that there’s anything really wrong with it. They allude at some point to insufficient funds as one of several reasons people “choose” to continue work. Sure, some people are workaholics and some people don’t know what to do with themselves outside of work. The article seems to celebrate old people working later into their lives, without really considering that it’s not really a choice for many.
During a retirement program conference at my company, the HR spokesperson said that the recommendation is that people put 15% of their income into retirement savings. Who can afford to do that? If I put 15% of my income into retirement, maybe, I’d be able to retire, but I’d be in so much debt when I got there that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy retirement.
I was naive and thought I’d be able to retire. My father was forced to retire without enough saved up. (He was fired so close to retirement age that nobody would hire him for a few years and he put too much of his retirement savings in the stock market thinking he’d make a fortune.)
I promised myself that I wouldn’t end up in his position, but my living expenses were too high so I couldn’t put much away for retirement. I figured I’d put more away later. Then later. Then later still.
Now, I’m 48 and don’t have nearly enough put away. An HR person for my company said, during a presentation, that the recommendation is for people to put 15% of their income into retirement. Who can afford to not have 15% of their income?!!! Definitely not me. And at this point, I’d need to put about 30% of my income into retirement to be ready.
At this point, my retirement plan is to work until I’m 75 or 80. Then, maybe, I’ll be able to retire for a few years.
So we just work until we can’t and then kill ourselves? This the future? Dark AF homie.