Portraits of Retirement

Frank is approaching 40 and is realizing how poorly heborn after 1960, the new retirement age is 67, and it
has planned for retirement. He always meant to getmight go up!
around to it, but his good intentions never translatedBaby boomers are persons who were born between
into having a well designed plan of action. Mark has1946 and 1964. There are an estimated78.2 million
big plans for retirement. He wants to finish his novel,baby boomers, as of July 1, 2005. In the U.S. 7,918
and do some traveling he and his wife have not yetpeople are turning 60 each day in 2006. That
gotten around to. But when will he be able to retire?amounts to 330 persons every hour. Over the next
And when he does retire, will he be able to afford5-25 years, the baby boomer generation will transition
the travels he has planned? After the divorce, Susanfrom working citizens into retirement. This Impending
realized how little money she really had. Shesurge of retirees has become a source of national
immediately began saving and investing as much asconcern for two major reasons. First, the population
possible. She wants to switch to from full-time toof retirees is predicted to grow much faster than the
part-time employment in about 10 years, and at thetaxpaying workforce. Also, average benefits per
rate she's going, she should be able to accomplishretiree are expected to continue rising. Such
that without a problem.circumstances place strong financial pressures on the
The age for retirement was set at 65 by KarU.S. federal government. Second, some researchers
Wilhelm in the late 1800's. Today, since people arehave questioned whether baby boomers are
living longer, healthier lives, many persons are workingaccumulating enough savings to subsidize an adequate
full or part time well into their seventies, or longer.retirement. Not only could inadequate wealth leave
In fact, the full retirement age has changed and isbaby boomers poorly prepared for the expense of
now dependent on the year of one's birth! Thoughretirement, it could compound the government's
persons can now begin to receive some retirementbudgetary problems by limiting the growth of
benefits age 62, the full retirement age has increased.investments, productivity, and wages (which drive
To gave some examples, for persons born in 1941,federal revenues). Surely phone counselor will provide
the retiring age is now 65 and 8 months, for personsyou further details.
born in 1957 it is 66 and 6 months, and for persons