Tuesday, August 01, 2006

"Retirement Careers" Are The New Ideal

Three-quarters of U.S. baby boomers are rejecting the traditional notion of retirement in favor of a more flexible mix of work and leisure. In fact, many people are already taking steps towards establishing a new "retirement career" -- something that will allow them to continue to work on a flexible schedule and still leave time for travel and other personal pursuits. They are preparing for this new career by attending classes and training sessions and researching careers such as consulting and teaching that enable them to share or pass on their knowledge to others.

The most frequent reason people give for wanting to work during retirement is to stay mentally and physically active, although concerns about health insurance and financial realities are obviously a contributing factor as well. Studies show that retirees who are already in "retirement careers" are more satisfied than those who are retired and not working. Not surprisingly, they are also less likely to fear financial constraints.

Some forward thinking companies are recognzing this growing trend and are offering telecommuting and more flexible schedules. They're also providing coaching and mentoring services as well as increased access to health insurance in order to leverage a very valuable work force segment that still has the desire to work.

What about you? Have you explored starting a retirement career?

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