An interesting tidbit I came across recently – as a recent study by the American Psychological Association shows, those who work past retirement age suffer 17% fewer major diseases and less physical decline than those who quit working and start taking life easy.
The study found among those who kept working such health benefits as lower blood pressure readings, fewer cases of diabetes, cancer, lung disease, heart disease, strokes and even arthritis, and also fewer psychiatric problems, including dementia.
And of course, working longer means earning more and drawing down savings more slowly, which is an added financial benefit.
It’s one of the things we discuss with clients when they are contemplating retirement – how will they keep their brains and bodies active once they no longer have a reason to get up in the morning? Clearly if people stay mentally stimulated and involved they end up living longer. So, whether you continue to work because you just enjoy what you do, or find a less stressful job to occupy your time, working past the normal retirement age is one way to do this.