2MERRILL

APPROACHING RETIREMENT

Most of us had at least there major decisions to make in life: where to live, what to do and with whom to do it.  We chose jobs, partners, friends, hobbies, etc.  That past is come and gone and you have had experience of it.  As retirement approaches, we begin to think again of three major decisions: where to live and what to do and how to take the pension.  How can we make these choices?

DON'T RETIRE?

Retirement comes to everybody, it is sort of a mandatory proclamation that when people reach a certain age they must step aside and go home. In the UN and its allied agencies like UNICEF (and others) you  have to retire at 60 or 62 (depending on when you joined the organization). But if you think of it, if anti-discrimination laws hold, people have the right to keep working as long as they can and want.

PROFILES IN RETIREMENT - OTHERS

Retirement lessons from the first year will give you a perspective of some Americans in retirement. It worth reading these few stories, you may glean some ideas to adapt to your own situation. However, reading the retirement profile of Fuad Kronfol is closer to home.

RETIREMENT PAST-TIMES - Part 2

Spousal togetherness can be calm or a storm.

RETIREMENT PAST-TIMES - Part 1

Mostly people worry as to how they would occupy themselves in retirement to the extent that (like everything else from baby sleep onwards) an entire cottage industry has grown to deal with this problem. Worry less, I would say, as you will tame yourself with experience.

AGING UP - Stick to your guns and jolly up!

Each year you are growing older and at some point, you will begin to worry about it. When you hit 30, you might feel you are losing your youth. However, if you stay fit by moving a lot (reasonable exercise regimen) you can really carry much youth into your 40s and 50s and even 60s.

RETIREMENT - ANOTHER STATE OF LIFE

Retirement is just another state of life. It is time when you step aside of the workforce and make room for others to step in. In addition, you can make retirement gainful in many ways. One effective way is to become a consultant on a part-time basis with your former employer.

OUT OF RETIREMENT

From out of retirement – The NY Times Magazine August 5, 2001

I suspect that many people expect to go on working if they can. I hear it from my children’s generation. “I don’t plan to retire,” they say. “Besides, Social Security will be such a pittance by then, I won’t be able to,” Yet pride is there, too, the can-do- entrepreneurial spirit. Personally, though, what the stock market slump does is wake me up to the false consciousness that work in the great thing I wanted to do in my sunset years. To me this is macho nonsense. There are better ways than work to deny death. Moreover, since I do not work I cannot make up for my savings shortfall.