Planning to retire?
Not long ago, many of us would have automatically answered “yes” to that question, and with good reason. In the 20th century, retirement became the norm—something most people did. Thanks to generous programs like Social Security (enacted in 1935) and Medicare (1965), millions of people who once might have worked till they dropped began to prepare for a time when they could give it a rest in their old age. Cue the bingo halls, gated Floridian communities, and restaurants opening at 4.30 p.m. Retirement became routine, something we could expect as a matter of right.