What are the things retirees fear?

That question: ‘What do people approaching retirement, and those already retired, fear the most?’

The first thing that springs to mind is the fear of not having enough money, and perhaps the fear of the money ‘expiring’ before we expire.

What about loss of relevance?
We go from being a business owner, executive, professional, or a CEO one day, to a retiree the next. No matter who we are and what we did, adapting to retirement is going to be a challenge for many people as they re-frame their life and adapt to their new role.

What will I do with my time?
Many retirees say they simply don’t know how they ever had time to work. They are simply so busy. They are the lucky ones. But for every busy retiree, there is probably another that is bored, lonely and simply doesn’t know what to do to fill in their time. They simply ‘fiddle’ around and lead a life that lacks direction.

Becoming single?
Resulting from the loss of a life partner is perhaps one of the biggest fears that many older folks have. Perhaps they have been together for forty, fifty, or even sixty or more years and then one is gone. It is not only the loss of a spouse that can be devastating, it is also the loss of family and friends as well. Include younger people in your circle of friends.

Ageing itself?
With age comes the possibility of illness, disability, and a loss of independence.
As our minds and bodies age, the things we used to do so easily become a real chore. We simply slow down to the point where life becomes a real drag.

What the government might do?
With an ageing population, the costs associated with providing pensions, health and aged care continue to spiral and present an ever-increasing challenge for any government

 

 

Source:  Peter Kelly | Centrepoint Alliance