{"id":3223,"date":"2013-08-25T15:44:14","date_gmt":"2013-08-25T19:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3223"},"modified":"2013-09-23T09:25:10","modified_gmt":"2013-09-23T13:25:10","slug":"kerrys-expert-tips-the-wsj-marketwatch-plan-to-work-after-60-treat-your-body-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3223","title":{"rendered":"Kerry’s Expert Tips: The WSJ MarketWatch: Plan to work after 60? Treat your body right"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"market\"<\/a>Don\u2019t bother reading this column if you\u2019ve already fully funded your retirement. Go play golf and let the rest of us tackle some tough questions without you. To wit, can we picture ourselves working at our current job at age 65? What about 70?<\/p>\n

Boomers who answered \u201cno\u201d have got some thinking to do. Because the reality is, many won\u2019t be able to afford to quit working in their early 60s. Those who pulled their money out of the market during the financial crisis haven\u2019t fully rebuilt their nest eggs, and not all homeowners have seen a rebound in their property values. Twenty-two percent of workers reported that\u00a0the age at which they expect to retire has increased over the past year<\/a>, according to the 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). \u201cMost people will push out and work beyond 65,\u201d said Kerry Hannon, the author of \u201cGreat Jobs for Everyone 50+.<\/em>\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

And yet, plenty of people who plan to keep working find themselves forced to retire earlier than anticipated. Forty-seven percent of retirees in the EBRI survey reported retiring sooner than they\u2019d planned, and of those, 55% stopped working due to a health problem or disability. Roughly nine out of 10 disabilities are caused by illness rather than accidents, and the leading cause in 2012 was musculoskeletal\/connective tissue disorders, including neck and back pain and arthritis, according to the Council for Disability Awareness. Those, of course, are exactly the kinds of problems that many jobs\u2014even cushy desk jobs\u2014can exacerbate. \u201cThe risk ramps up as people get older,\u201d said Barry Lundquist, president of the Council for Disability Awareness.<\/p>\n

Many retirement-age boomers want jobs that challenge them mentally, but are less demanding physically.<\/div>\n

If boomers think they\u2019ll need to work longer, they need to make sure they have a job that can take them the distance. (Those who simply love to work have the same imperative, of course, but you\u2019ll have much more flexibility if you don\u2019t need the paycheck.) A suitable situation could come through different means, from requesting accommodations in your current job, to finding a less demanding 9-to-5 job or going into business for yourself. The latter two require significant time and planning. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important not to wait until your 60s to begin weighing your options.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s best to take stock of your career around age 50, many experts say. Are you happy in your current job? Do you still feel relevant and part of the team? Are there aspects of the work\u2014such as frequent travel or long hours\u2014that you don\u2019t envision being able to handle at older ages?<\/p>\n

The good news is that as the workforce gets older, many employers see the value of having a veteran staff. And it isn\u2019t only the institutional knowledge they appreciate: For example, a study published in the July issue of the journal of Psychological Science found that older workers beat their younger peers on\u00a0overall consistency and reliability<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Click her to continue and\u00a0Read Full Story <\/a>by Elizabeth O’Brien<\/a>\u00a0on The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch<\/strong><\/p>\n

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