First, all of us should be investing our money for the future-however long that may be. We should not be living for a future we have no guarantee of seeing.
Bullet #8 in my post How To Know If You’re a Corporate Slave, speaks to those working/living for retirement. It’s a sad place to be when all of your energy and focus is on something unknown like retirement. But we do it and we’re encouraged to as well. We’re encouraged by Wall Street and the organizations we work for. Why is that? With Wall Street it makes total sense; follow the money and you will find Nirvana. The organization’s motivations can be a little murky. It can be honest care for you (rare) or it can be a way of putting golden shackles on your wrists and ankles.
I had a conversation with a former colleague who remarked that he was happy that he had a job and only needed 12 more years before retirement. That statement was not horrific, but the fact that he didn’t say anything else about his work was. He’s all but given up and given in. I don’t think his organization minds…
Regardless of where you stand on the idea of retirement, consider these 5 myths:
- Other people’s experience will let me know how things will go for me.
- I can do what I’ve always wanted to do when I retire.
- Employers offer retirement benefits to retain talent.
- I shouldn’t let go of those vested benefits that I’ve worked so hard to earn.
- I need to stay with this company to provide a secure future for myself when I’m too old to work.