Another thing to consider is if you are married, or living together as a couple, have you thought about who might retire first? How does the other person feel about that? For most couples it isn’t practical or convenient to retire at the same time, or even the same year in most cases, unless you are the same age. This doesn’t have to present a problem, of course, however it can sometimes cause friction when one retires first and the other continues to slave away five days per week.

So, what did you do all day? Oh, nothing. Yeah, that’s what I thought! It’s been said that when a man retires before his wife, it can cause a bit of a riff in the household. (That didn’t happen to me, just saying it does happen). Especially when he is doing nothing all day, and the wife still comes home after work to do the cooking and cleaning! I wonder how that would work at my house? Never mind, because I already have removed myself from that trap long ago, by doing my share of the housework. I mean, it’s only fair, right guys? Guys? Yeah, you know you should be doing more!

But again, as I’ve said probably several times by now, it depends on your circumstances how this will play out for you. Maybe you can set things up to you both retire at the same time, or at least the same year. But if one spouse isn’t ready to call it quits, why force the issue? I’ve heard there are people out there that love their jobs so much they never want to retire! Hey, it’s possible. But the truth is you must think ahead and plan not only when you will retire, but how your spouse sees this event – so you can discuss it thoughtfully and make sure nobody is surprised by the decision to retire.

No one wants to wake up one day to hear their spouse say “hey, my last day of work is next week!”. Yikes! That would be too much of a red flag situation for most people, I’m afraid. So the bottom line is talk with your spouse, lay out your wishes and see if they match up with what your spouse is thinking about the timing of retirement – it will go a long way towards keep the peace in the family and also most likely will make the decision much happier for you both. 

I suppose what I’m saying is communication is a key issue, so don’t be quiet about your plans or feelings that you are having about retirement. We all retire at some point in our lives, some sooner than later. But keeping the details a secret is never a good idea, especially when you are married.

Planning for your retirement can be tricky, and there are questions you have like everyone else. If you want to learn and explore more ideas for yourself, check out my book here for more information:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3S2V9VM

Happy retirement planning!