Remember Me
forgot your password?

New Ideas About Retirement

The very concept of retirement is flawed. It is based on several false premises. First is the premise that at a certain age you are no longer able to provide economic value. That is clearly nonsense as shown by the many millionaire entrepreneurs and business people in the sixties, seventies and eighties. Yes, we generally get weaker and lose some abilities as we age. But there are seventy-five year-old retirees playing tennis out there, and anyone who can still think and move two fingers can do what I’m doing for a living.

Another false premise is the whole “golden years” idea. First of all, why wouldn’t we want to enjoy life at every stage? Secondly, isn’t this idea of finally relaxing and no longer working based on the assumption that we all have to work at jobs we hate all of our lives - jobs we need to someday escape? Maybe instead of concentrating on saving enough to quit it all, we should spend more time earlier in life choosing the right work.

I don’t actually have many new ideas about retirement, because it just isn’t a meaningful nor necessary concept. But there are parts of it that make sense. Two in particular come to mind, and both should be addressed without regard to retirement or age.

First, it makes sense to be prepared for a time when you cannot work. Saving and investing part of one’s income accomplishes this, but there is no need to call it a retirement account. After all, you might be in a devastating car wreck at 29 years old, or you might be healthy and making a good living at 89. Age is certainly not the only determinant of when you might need a non-job income to live on.

In fact, the idea of retirement lulls people into the assumption that it is only in old age that we require or benefit from this kind of “survival preparation.” It might make more sense to have a plan for the loss of job or self-employment income at any age. At the present time there are millions of people in this country who are unemployed, and I’ll bet that many of them wish they had made some preparations for that.

The second thing that makes sense about retirement is the idea of having the time to do what you want. Even if you have a job you love, it could be useful to have the time to pursue other interests or to explore other aspects of life. You might want to travel the world, for example, or help build a hospital in another country. A source of income that doesn’t require you to work makes for a lot of freedom and creative possibilities.

Of course the concept of retirement isn’t necessary at all for this. In my own case, I often took “mini retirements” from jobs to travel or write or pursue other interests. All I had to do to make this possible was to save money and keep expenses low. There are ways to do this throughout life, and it really doesn’t make any sense to put off some things until you are old. Climbing mountains (one of my interests), for example, is safer and perhaps more enjoyable when younger.

The concept of retirement may very well bankrupt our country, given the impossible demands that are coming on the social security and medicare programs. It doesn’t make any sense to remove the productive capacity of a person from our economy and suck off the production of others to make it possible for that person to play bingo and watch television for years. It’s bad for the recipient (those who retire die much quicker on average), and is a double hit on the economy. Furthermore, Social Security never has been a retirement fund since nothing has ever been invested. It is welfare, so it makes sense to limit it to those who need it.

Let’s just eliminate the idea of retirement. Let’s help those who need help - old or not, prepare for times when work isn’t possible - which can come at any age, and make space for “creative time” throughout life. None of these goals needs the idea of retirement, and it actually gets in the way.

Steve Gillman

Copyright Steve Gillman. For inventions, new product ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and ocassional free gifts, visit The New Ideas Blog, at : http://www.999ideas.com/blog

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Elderly Care Articles
  • More from Steve Gillman

Elderly Care - Tips and Guide to Choosing Assisted Living Facilities

By: Jared Wright | 06/11/2009
Choosing a facility for your aging parent, friend or family member can be a vast responsibly. The longer and elderly person can stay independent the better, but there comes a time in their lives that they will need special care and attention that can only be provided by a caregiver or an assisted living facility.

Finding Special Care for Your Parents - Elderly Caregivers

By: Jared Wright | 05/11/2009
Having parents or family members that are approaching old age is always a concern. We all would like to be able to care of them and make their last years as pleasant as possible. It is, however, easier said than done. With job and other responsibilities very few people have the time or means to care for an elderly person.

Retirement Communities

By: Alice Shown | 05/11/2009
Retirement communities are especially designed for people who are above 55 years of age.

Assisted Living Facility for Individuals with Alzheimer's or other Dementia

By: Alice Shown | 05/11/2009
Alzheimer's disease affects approximately 26 million people worldwide.

Selecting a Care home for your loved ones

By: Jstrange | 04/11/2009
Thinking about who is the best person to care for your mom or dad is a never ending thought. Here I am writing some tips to guide you in selection of best care home for your loved ones.

Menopause and Andropause: The Baby Boomers Nightmare

By: Boomeryearbook.com | 03/11/2009
Baby boomers have always been accustomed to being in the driving seat where their sex drive is concerned. Andropause and menopause are like the proverbial spanner in the works and both can cause chaos in the life of an unsuspecting baby boomer.

Why Are Baby Boomers Motivated By Sex?

By: Boomeryearbook.com | 02/11/2009
Are baby boomers motivated by sex? Or is the modern generation simply jealous of the sexual freedoms enjoyed by their predecessors?

Promiscuous Baby Boomers: The Secrets of a Lusty Generation

By: Boomeryearbook.com | 02/11/2009
Why is it that baby boomers experienced a sexual revolution that enabled them to enjoy an uninhibited sex life for so long? What caused things to change?

Economic Depression Survival Tips

By: Steve Gillman | 29/10/2009 | Personal Finance
A few good economic depression survival tips for those who want to be prepared.

More Funny Ways To Save Money

By: Steve Gillman | 27/10/2009 | Humor
A look at some of the funny ways to save money that people have suggested.

Three Ways Of Thinking Outside The Box

By: Steve Gillman | 24/10/2009 | Psychology
A look at three ways of thinking outside the box for more creative solutions.

Wealth Creation Means What?

By: Steve Gillman | 17/10/2009 | Personal Finance
A look at wealth creation and the difference between that and making money.

Make Money Online - Honestly

By: Steve Gillman | 07/10/2009 | ECommerce
A look at how to honestly make money online, and avoid the dishonest tricks often used.

Flipping Houses - Four Strategies

By: Steve Gillman | 01/10/2009 | Real Estate
Which of these four strategies will you use for flipping houses for a profit?

Three Real Estate Investing Secrets

By: Steve Gillman | 01/10/2009 | Personal Finance
Some real estate investing secrets to help reduce you risks and increase your profits.

New Ideas For Creative Real Estate Investing

By: Steve Gillman | 28/09/2009 | Real Estate
A look at creative real estate investing from new angles.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.24, 5, w1)