Older couples may find retirement to be a challenge to their marriage, according to this article from the Washington Post. “While you may view retirement as a long-anticipated emancipation from the work world, it is also a period of considerable change and adjustment...,” says an expert. "For some couples, the fact that they have been drifting apart for years could be masked or ignored because most of their time and attention is devoted to their careers or raising a family. For these couples, suddenly spending more time together may present a reality they aren’t prepared for.”
More education enables people to have a less physically demanding job, allowing them to stay longer in the labor force and retire later in life, according to this article on MarketWatch, citing an economics research paper recently distributed by the National Bureau of Economic Research. More women are also now part of the workforce because they need to build their nest egg and make up for lost time from looking after loved ones. Research suggests that spouses tend to retire around the same time as one another. Which means if women are working longer, their husbands may be as well. The shift to defined contribution plans and reform with Social Security also contribute to many workers' decision to defer retirement.
A study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave has found that 42% of women are concerned that they will outlive their nest egg when they reach the age of 80, according to this article on personal finance website Motley Fool. These poll participants' fears are not unfounded, as they have failed to save at least $738,000, the amount they would need to have a comfortable retirement, the study says. Older female workers who don't have sizeable savings should opt to work longer to give themselves more time to save, allow their savings to grow more and boost their Social Security retirement benefits.
Many retirees experienced a reduction in their pension benefits, as their plans became insolvent because of the financial crisis, according to this article on CNNMoney. A report by researchers from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College states that struggling multi-employer funds need some $76 billion to address their financial woes. "Understandably, the remaining employers left holding the bag haven't always been willing or able to pick up the slack," says an expert.
