Kerry Hannon is a workplace futurist and strategist on career transitions, entrepreneurship, personal finance and retirement. She is a frequent TV, radio and podcast commentator and is a sought-after keynote speaker.

Kerry is currently a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance  and an on-air expert.

She was formerly an expert columnist, opinion writer and regular contributor to The New York Times, MarketWatch, Forbes, and a personal finance and entrepreneurship expert on the PBS website NextAvenue.org.

Millions of viewers, readers and listeners have been motivated by Kerry’s can-do, down-to-earth message. She has appeared as a career and financial expert on The Dr. Phil Show ABC, CBS, CNBC, NBC Nightly News, NPR, Yahoo Finance and PBS.

Kerry has dedicated her work to making a difference in people’s lives, to give them confidence and the tools to succeed personally, professionally and financially. She offers her audiences and readers can-do expert advice on the best ways to empower themselves now and for the future.

 

Kerry is the best-selling and award-winning author of a 14 books. These include: Great Pajama Jobs: Your Compete Guide to Working from Home, Never Too Old to Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life.

Kerry’s latest book is In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work published April 26, 2022 by McGraw Hill.

Other best-selling and award-winning books penned by Kerry include: Money Confidence: Really Smart Financial Moves for Newly Single Women, Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy . . . And Pays the Bills, Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness, Getting the Job You Want after 50, and What’s Next?: Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond.

She has spent more than three decades covering all aspects of careers, business, retirement, entrepreneurship, and personal finance as a columnist, editor, and writer for the nation’s leading media companies.

In 2006, she developed U.S. News & World Report’s  pioneering “Second Acts” feature — a regular column that looked at people who successfully navigated a complete career change in midlife, their challenges, and their motivations.

In addition to delivering practical advice for mid-life workers seeking to land rewarding jobs, find financial and personal rewards and ride the age wave of longevity with grace, a key passion for Kerry is helping and advising women on how to take charge of their own financial planning, at all stages of their lives, to prepare themselves for a financially secure future.

Her earlier books include Suddenly Single: Money Skills for Divorcees and Widows and The 10-Minute Guide to Retirement for Women.

Kerry is a former National Press Foundation Fellow, a former Fellow of the Columbia Journalism School and the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center’s Age Boom Academy. She is also a former Metlife Foundation and New America Media Fellow on Aging.

She has testified before Congress about the importance of older workers.

Kerry graduated from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she serves on the Board of Visitors. She received a bachelor’s degree from Duke University, where she is currently a member of an editorial board. Kerry lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, documentary producer and editor Cliff Hackel, and her Labrador Retriever, Elmore “Elly”.

Follow Kerry on Twitter @KerryHannon, visit her website at KerryHannon.com, and check out her LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/kerryhannon.

 

Praise for Kerry Hannon and IN CONTROL AT 50+

 The Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call. If we didn’t already

know about essential workers, remote work, and a burgeoning gig and

entrepreneurial economy, we certainly do now. All of us, particularly

those who are older, need to understand more about how and where we

fit in this emerging world of work. Fortunately, we have the perspective,

knowledge, and steady hand of Kerry Hannon to guide us. Hannon’s

In Control at 50+ offers positive but clear-eyed advice for everyone navigating

their future. It’s the right read and the right time.

—Paul Irving, Senior Fellow at Milken Institute and former

Chairman of Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging

 

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the workplace dynamic for millions of

workers, most especially for older employees. As she always has, Kerry

Hannon looked at the landscape and delivered a book that addresses

the issues facing older workers and how they can navigate new and

old norms. She tackles ageism and the Great Resignation movement.

Hannon’s writing is straightforward, passionate, and compassionate.

If you’re striving to create your best work life, Kerry provides the guidance

you need to get what you want.

—Michelle Singletary, nationally syndicated

personal finance columnist at the Washington Post

and author of The 21 Day Financial Fast

If you’re eager to thrive in the changing workplace, In Control at 50+

is a must-read. Workplace futurist Kerry Hannon provides a blueprint

for setting audacious goals, shaping and growing your network, and

getting the job you desire—now and in the future.

—Dorie Clark, Wall Street Journal bestselling

author of The Long Game and Executive Education

faculty at Duke University Fuqua School of Business

Kerry Hannon’s In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of

Work is an essential guide with grounded details for landing a job or

making a life transition. Hannon offers new models and resources with

a step-by-step plan for tackling the complexities of the postpandemic

work life. Takeaways are based on a commonsense strategy to reinvent

the average person’s own experience and help them achieve success.

This book has everything you need.

—Cindy Hounsell, President of Women’s Institute

for a Secure Retirement (WISER)

 

Kerry Hannon steers you through the rapidly changing world of work,

whether you’re launching a business, making a career transition, or

seeking a new job. Not only does she lead you forward on a new path

with moxie and confidence, she also stresses that lifelong education

is the magic ingredient that will enhance your career, build resilience,

and allow you to be open to discover joy and meaning in what you

do and the lives you touch.

—Chip Conley, New York Times bestselling

author of Emotional Equations and

Founder of the Modern Elder Academy

No one explains the challenges facing midcareer workers better than

Kerry Hannon. Her new book is an insightful look at how the Covid-19

pandemic has shaped today’s job market for older workers and provides

a road map to opportunities to ensure that they are not left behind

as we move forward. This book is a must-read for all interested in creating

an inclusive labor market that doesn’t ignore the needs and wants

of a vital and vibrant segment of that market—the older worker.

—Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief of WorkingNation

 

This is the book to read for anyone over 50, or nearing that age, who

plans to work full-time or part-time. With timely advice from Hannon

and a bevy of sharp experts, there’s loads of practical information on

finding jobs, making yourself more employable, and finding fulfillment.

Worth every penny.

—Richard Eisenberg, former Managing Editor of Next

Avenue and Executive Editor of Money magazine

 

Midcareer workers are under-tapped talent. They often face age bias

when looking for employment, particularly when they are seeking to

switch careers. At a time in which many industries are experiencing

labor shortages, and people are living and working longer, an intergenerational

workforce is more important than ever. Kerry Hannon offers

valuable insights for job seekers age 50+ to navigate the labor market

landscape.

—Mona Mourshed, founding CEO of Generation

 

Kerry Hannon’s prescient understanding of the labor market allows her

to deliver a pragmatic, yet positive, assessment for older workers. She

offers actionable steps that all individuals can take today to build relevancy

and respect in the Super Age workforce.

—Bradley Schurman, demographic futurist

and author of The Super Age

Many aspects of aging aren’t under our control, but one very important

aspect is: our attitude. How do we handle our inner ageist, who whispers,

“Am I too old to learn new skills?” “Do I have the energy?” “Will

someone want to hire me?” In her expert and engaging guide to succeeding

in the twenty-first-century workplace, Kerry Hannon explains

how to arrive at “no,” “yes,” and “yes!”

—Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks

 

In Control at 50+ is the IT guide for those who seek to demystify the

daunting changes of age and see past to new opportunity. Empathetically

written and intellectually challenging, this book empowers readers

seeking to reimagine themselves and the path they see ahead for the

better.

—Sanyin Siang, professor at Duke University,

CEO coach, and author of The Launch Book

 

As the world’s population is aging faster than ever before, Kerry’s

book brings together deep research and insights on how the future of

work is not only changing for those 50+ but can be advantageous in an

economy that values knowledge and remote work.

—Neil Dsouza, Cofounder and CEO of GetSetUp

 

In 2018, Kerry’s national bestselling book Great Jobs For Everyone 50+ won two bronze medals in these prestigious Book of the Year Awards. It was the bronze medal winner in the career category for 2018 INDIES Book of the Year Awards. Over 2,000 entries were submitted in 68 categories, with Foreword’s editors choosing the finalists, and a panel of over 150 librarians and booksellers acting as judges to pick the winners.

Great Jobs for Everyone 50+ won the 2018 Bronze in the General Audience Book Category at the 38th Annual EXCEL Awards. 300 finalists were selected from 841 entries. Winners were chosen for taking bold chances

Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps you Happy and Health…and Pays the Bills (WIley, 2018) was the #1 New Release on Amazon and #1 Job Hunting Guide.

In 2006, she developed U.S. News & World Report’s  pioneering “Second Acts” feature — a regular column that looked at people who successfully navigated a complete career change in midlife, their challenges, and their motivations.

More Praise for Kerry’s Work

“Kerry Hannon unlocks the secrets to finding true career happiness. Finding passion, value, and genuine satisfaction in the job you do is rare yet eminently desirable-and obtainable, as Hannon shows. She is one of the top personal finance journalists in the field.” -Diane Harris, deputy editor-in-chief Newsweek and former Editor-in-chief, MONEY Magazine/Money.com

” A noted authority on work and careers, Kerry knows exactly what the rest of us need to do to become more fulfilled at our jobs. Take her advice and I’m confident you’ll get more out of work and more out of life.”–Richard Eisenberg, former managing editor, PBS NextAvenue.org 

“One of the best experts on careers after age 50—Kerry Hannon.”

—Mark Miller, retirement columnist for Reuters, Morningstar, and WealthManagement.com

“Work should offer more than a paycheck. Work is also a big part of the daily search for meaning, the desire for a sense of fulfillment, the pursuit of community and connections. Kerry Hannon’s work reflects the wisdom she’s gathered over the years interviewing, thinking, and writing aboutjobs and careers—insights she brilliantly translates into practical strategies for us to consider.”

—Chris Farrell, author of Purpose and a Paycheck

“Kerry Hannon’s work is  original, smart, and important. She questions the follow-your-dream mantra so prevalent today and instead provides insightful, practical advice that will work for anyone, whatever the field, whatever the life stage, whatever the circumstances.”

—Marci Alboher, VP of Encore.org and author of The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life

“The greatest feeling in life is knowing who you are, doing what you love, and living the life you enjoy. Kerry Hannon leads you to that place. 

—Richard Leider, international bestselling author of The Power of Purpose, Repacking Your Bags, and Life Reimagined

“As people live longer, there’s ever more desire to get the most out of the hours we spend at work. Kerry can help you cure the career blahs, tackle serious burnout, and get your spark back.”

—Daniel H. Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Drive and A Whole New Mind

 ”Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy . . . and Pays the Bills by columnist Kerry Hannon is a must read for anyone mulling what kind of work will work for you in the next phase of your life.”

–The Wall Street Journal. 

“A practical, empowering and all-encompassing career resource.”

–USA Today