A Fascinating Course on the Literature of Retirement

What does it mean to retire? And who are you if you’re retired — a retired person, a former (fill in the blank) or someone very different from before? John Watkins, an English professor at the University of Minnesota, is not only wrestling with those q… Continue reading

Why More Older Workers Are Becoming Unemployed As Retirement Nears

(This article originally appeared on the PBS NewsHour site.) Judy Woodruff: Many Americans say they focus on saving for retirement when they reach their fifties. But what happens if you lose your job at that age? Our economics correspondent, Paul Solma… Continue reading

Who’s Lonely at Work and Why

All the lonely workers Where do they all come from? All the lonely workers Where do they all belong? — Apologies to John Lennon and Paul McCartney After reading Cigna’s fascinating and sad Loneliness and the Workplace 2020 U.S. Report, I couldn’t help … Continue reading

Comeback Career Advice for Women Over 50

Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, has written books inspiring women to take control of their career and fight the forces holding them back in the workplace. She launched a “Know Your Value” conference series and a slick website sponsored… Continue reading

OPINION: Your Bucket List Isn’t Worth a Dime

A recent Stanford University School of Medicine survey of 3,056 people found that 91% of them had a bucket list — things they want to do before they die. But I think the whole idea of a bucket list is disheartening. I say that because items on a “bucke… Continue reading

The UN and AARP Team Up for Age-Diverse Workforces

When I saw the invitation from the United Nations and AARP to attend their age-diverse workforce briefing, that got my attention. But when I heard their speakers at the UN make the business case for “earning longer,” that got me energized. “Keeping old… Continue reading

The New Tax Forms You Need to Know

Now that tax season has kicked in, prepare for some pretty big changes on your 2019 tax forms. You may even wind up filling out a new version of the 1040 specifically for people 65 and older. And the W-4 withholding form from employers has been complet… Continue reading

Hoarding Hid This Artist’s Exceptional Work

When my 78-mother-in-law, DeAnne Mack, died suddenly in 2018, the chore of cleaning out the Omaha, Neb. house she’d lived in for over 50 years fell to my husband and me. We weren’t looking forward to it. DeAnne, we knew, had been hoarding for decades. … Continue reading

Avoid Losing at Musical Chairs When You Retire

What happens when the music stops at work and retirement starts? How will you feel when the chairs you’ve been marching around for years begin to disappear? Many people don’t realize it, but the childhood game of musical chairs can provide some fresh p… Continue reading

The 4-Day Workweek: Has Its Time Come?

The drumbeat for a four-day workweek is getting louder. Microsoft Japan tried it and says productivity rose by 40% and electricity costs fell by 23%. Finland’s new prime minister, Sanna Marin, says her country might want to experiment with a four-day w… Continue reading