Get ready America, we're on our way. Baby boomers are on the verge of retirement. There are approximately 78.2 million of us in the United States. Baby boomers are born between 1946 and 1964. We are also called boomers and boomies. We make up the lion's share of the political, cultural, industrial and academic leadership class in America.
In year 2011, the first of America's baby boomers will reach the age of 65....primed for their golden retirement years. However, 8 out of 10 people surveyed plan on working after retirement. Speak to a baby boomer and they'll tell you what retirement in their golden years is going to be like. And, they're being shocked by a wake-up call.
"I jumped the gun at age 52 to retire" one baby boomer said, "I was on top of the world. No more 9 to 5. No more scheduled meetings. No more political correctness. No more towing the line. Utter utopia. Better still, absolute utopia. Yahoo!!! I had done it."
Hold on, time for a reality check.
It's a well known fact baby boomers are living beyond their financial means. That alone should serve as a wake-up call....for baby boomers are not saving adequately for their retirement years. It cost money to live. It ain't free. The bills still come in. And, the bills increase at a rate faster than returns on assets.
Baby boomers need to step up to the plate and heed this wake-up call. Especially if they want their standard of living to remain intact. Heaven forbid should their standard of living decline.
Maturity arrives quickly. Baby boomers must view the big picture before retirement. Will their accumulated assets satisfy their retirement lifestyle. Will they be healthy enough to enjoy retirement? How can baby boomers retain their current life style? These are just a few questions baby boomers should begin to ask themselves before it's too late and those golden years are upon us.
