Phases Start With The Pre Retirement Phase example essay topic

Internet Source: web USA Today Magazine Jan, 2003 SUMMARY: This article sums up many of the aspects of retirement as it is today. The article emphasizes the changes in retirement from how it is today, to how it will be for the coming up generation of retirees. When people of our generation retire, they will have to use more of their own money to live off of. Companies are not paying as much and social security benefits are declining. Also, people live longer now. If they retire at age 65, they could live to be 100 years old.

That is a lot of years to fund all the activities retired persons like to engage in. Also, jobs are not, as a whole, as physically demanding as they once were. Therefore, people aren't as tired when they retire and are up for doing more traveling and activities. The article talks about hobbies, traveling, returning to school, and volunteer work as examples of things retirees enjoy. It goes on to say that an adult might want to "practice" at retirement by getting started doing some of the hobbies they plan to do when they retire.

After that, the article goes into the aspects of making sure they leave money for their children when they die. In the past this was something of great importance. However, the article suggests that since people live longer they may want to be more generous when they are living and let their kids use the money when they are younger and need it more. People who retire in the future, it says, may also want to gradually quit working.

That may mean switching to a lower paying career or just gradually cutting back hours. This could help those who retire financially or just because they enjoy a lot of the aspects of working. The last thing the article discusses is that future people retiring will be healthier. Therefore, they will be able to do more things and retirement will be a whole new stage of life.

COMPARISON: The text also discusses retirement but has some different views that the article. The first difference in the text and the article is that the article begins with stating that retirement is a right of passage through which most elderly pass. It says that retirement affects the individual's status, income, privileges, power, and prestige. Then, it goes on to discuss the different attitudes people have about retirement which the article does not really touch on. The book says that individuals who have a positive attitude toward retirement are those who have a pension waiting for them, are married, have planned for retirement, and have high self-esteem. It also says that few regard work as a privilege.

Although the article doesn't right out say that some people do see work as a privilege, it does say that some people find work enjoyable and necessary, and would like to make the retirement process gradual. The text says that people more likely to retire sooner than others are those who are married women, persons in blue-collar or manual labor jobs, and the less educated. The article didn't discuss which types of people would retire sooner. The text also had a section that talked about the "phases" of retirement, which the article didn't have.

These phases start with the pre-retirement phase where the individual thinks about and begins separating from coworkers and the job. The next phase is the actual retirement and then a honeymoon period. The honeymoon period, it says, is where people who are physically and financially able, take the vacations they have always wanted. However, the text says they will do this until their money runs out. The article emphasizes, on the other hand, careful planning so they money doesn't run out and people can enjoy vacations throughout retirement.

The book also has a section discussing life insurance. The article talks about leaving money for their kids when they die also. Overall, the text discusses retirement as it is for people retired today whereas the article is talking about the changes in retirement and how it will be in the future. CRITIQUE This is a really good article for people to read, especially younger people who are working today. It can give them good ideas for how retirement is going to be and to help them start planning so their retirement will go smoothly. I can see how a lot of things that the article discusses are true for people in my family.

My grandpa is seventy years old and still refuses to retire although he doesn't need the money. He is one of those people who enjoy working and it keeps him healthy. However, he is going to start gradually retiring here soon which is one thing the article talked about. My dad is one of those people who will have to have activity once he retires. He will have to plan well for all the golf games he will want to play.

The article is right. The retirement process is changing and we need to realize that. We need to plan well and be prepared for many non-working years to fund. Some more research could be done to make this article even more interesting. Maybe some statistics on the amount of money the average retired couple spends on traveling and activities when they retire would be good. Also, a discussion on how retirement differs for single or widowed people as compared to married retirees would be interesting.