Ten Good Reasons for Staying on the Job at Retirement Time

Let's say the time has arrived when you are able to retire. You've been looking forward to this for a long time. Now, at last, you can do what you have always wanted to do. You won't have to get up in the middle of the night. You won't have to face that boring trip to work. There is no time to waste. You need to get the paper work completed as soon as you can so that you can begin this most pleasant period of your life as soon as possible.

But wait a moment. Do you really want to do this? Maybe you should work a little longer. Here are ten good reasons why you might want to postpone retirement for a year or two, maybe even more.

1 Retiring is expensive. You may be able to afford retirement now but what about a year from now? Two years? Five? Ten? The cost of living keeps going up. Will you have the funds to keep up with the money you will need in the future? By working a little longer, you will be able to save longer for retirement. You'll be able increase the amount you'll receive from Social Security by contributing longer. Consider all the financial reasons why postponing retirement might be a good idea. It may change your mind about retiring now.

2. Have you considered the perks you're now getting? Some may be such benefits as medical and dental assistance, 401K, opportunities for advancement, bonuses, etc. If you wanted to purchase these benefits, they might cost more than you can afford. By continuing to work, you keep all of these ongoing.

3. Staying on the job, helps keep your body healthy. Your body is used to your current routine. If you suddenly change what you're demanding from it, your body may decide it's time to slow down, maybe even succumb to sudden illnesses.

4. Staying on the job helps keep your mind healthy. Your mind is used to the thinking demands you're currently making of it. Your brain likes to think. When you retire, your thinking requirements may diminish. Your mind may like your more moderate demands and keep diminishing its ability to function well. This is not something you should want.

5. Staying on the job helps you keep the feeling that you are a valuable member of society. Yes, it's pleasurable not to have to do this for a while, but there may come a time when your assessment of yourself may diminish greatly because you're not providing the kind of support to society that you once did.

6. When you retire, you lose contact with your work family. You may miss the interactions you currently have with the men and women you mingle with at work. It's bad enough when you lose one of these individuals because he or she leaves the company, but we're talking about losing all of them with one swoop. Yes, you may believe you'll keep contact with them, but the reality is that you won't.

7. When you stay on the job, you'll have an easier time negotiating from strength when you wish to make a major financial transaction such as purchasing a car or buying property. To state that you are retired may represent one strike toward not having your deal go through.

8. When you retire you begin losing the knowledge that you currently have of your job. In a few years, you may feel as if the world has passed you by. If the knowledge that you currently have of your specialty is important to you; if keeping up with new development in it is important, you'll understand why staying on the job could be beneficial.

9. When you retire, every day will seem like a holiday. Special days that you now look forward to won't mean as much any more. Staying on the job, keeps alive the pleasure of having time off from time to time.

10. Staying on the job is useful to avoid the boredom that comes from not having anything to do. You may now believe that you'll enjoy forever certain activities like traveling and playing golf. But if this is all you do, boredom may set in and you may want to get a job to relieve the boredom. Getting a job after you've retired is not easy; maybe even impossible.

Consider these ideas before writing that resignation letter!