Republicans Vow To Cut Social Security: 'People Want To Work Longer'

[Algernon Moncrieff]

61. My dad worked until he was 83

He wanted to, as he is one of those people whose identity was his work. He did not have hobbies like hunting, fishing, camping/RVing that other people dream of in retirement. He's now very comfortably retired.

I had planned to work to 70 for the same reasons as you, but I may have to "retire" at 62 (or sooner) to go take care of the aforementioned dad. What I likely won't do is claim SS.

I'm not immune to math or the number of retiring late-stage boomers. So I would be willing to discuss a gradual increase in the age over several years if we also discuss a raise in the cap. The more serious discussion we need to have is about phased retirement (encouraging employers to allow workers to transition more slowly to full retirement with part-time or seasonal work schedules) and about encouraging retraining for "second act" employment -- especially for those who have done largely physical work and need to shift gears to less physically demanding work in their 40s and 50s.