The word conjures up wonderful visions of being on vacation all the time. Sleeping late. Taking trips. Finally having enough time to indulge in whatever hobby or interest catches your fancy. We save for retirement in a variety of ways, working and waiting until the day when we decide that it’s time, whether that’s at age 62, when that is the earliest you can receive Social Security, or anytime earlier or later.
Sometimes people are forced to retire due to illness or physical problems that prevent them from continuing in their careers, or financial considerations such as layoffs. Sometimes these forced retirements result in a big financial burden. Whether you retire because you want to or because you have to, it’s possible to make your retirement years happy and healthy — you just need to approach things a bit differently.