Retiring Early Doesn't Mean You'll Live Longer
October 31, 2005
I am turning 60 in December, and the only birthdays that have bothered me have been turning 40 and now turning 60. They seem like milestone birthdays to me.
Many of my contemporaries, especially teachers and police officers have retired by my age. I wonder what they do with themselves. Many find other employment at least part time. I plan to work until 66 at least when I can get my Social Security and maybe on into 70 or 75.
I have often sensed that retiring early is not necessarily a good thing for one's physical or mental health. Reuters reported on October 21, 2005 on an article in the British Medical Journal in October, 2005 which essentially says what I have thought all along.
"It is widely held that early retirement is associated with longer life expectancy and later retirement is associated with early death, but a new study shows this isn't so.
According to a report in this week's British Medical Journal, the long-term survival of people who retire early at age 55 or 60 is no better than that of those who retire at 65. On the contrary, survival rates appear to improve with increasing age at retirement. This seems to be the case for both high- and low-income groups."
Link: MedlinePlus: Retiring Early Doesn't Mean You'll Live Longer.