This Is One of My Biggest Retirement Worries -- and How I'm Addressing It
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Interestingly, There are many people I know who spend years counting down to retirement after successful but stressful careers. And I get it, amid ongoing market uncertainty. Nevertheless, As someone...
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personal finance
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July 18, 2025
05:18 AM
The Motley Fool
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Interestingly, There are many people I know who spend years counting down to retirement after successful but stressful careers
And I get it, amid market uncertainty
Nevertheless, As someone who hustles and works a lot, I can see the appeal of a more relaxed schedule and less pressure
Moreover, But even though retirement has the potential to be an exciting period of life, let's face it -- there's also lots to worry (noteworthy indeed)
Moreover, For one thing, there's running out of savings -- something 64% of people fear more than dying, according to a recent Allianz survey (quite telling), amid market uncertainty
However, Image source: Getty Images (something worth watching)
Additionally, There's also the fear of mounting healthcare costs
Medicare premiums could rise over time, straining seniors' budgets
Nevertheless, And health issues tend to arise with age, which can lead to larger bills
Moreover, Fidelity puts the average cost of healthcare in retirement at $165,000 for a 65-year-old retiring in 2024
That doesn't even include long-term expenses
But while running out of savings and large healthcare bills worry me, too, there's another retirement concern I've been thinking on a more regular basis lately, in today's market environment
And it's one that I'm trying to work on solutions to fix, in today's financial world
Nevertheless, When retirement just plain sounds boring I'm someone who's not used to having much downtime
Nevertheless, I work more than 40 hours a week
And when I'm not at my desk, I'm usually walking one of my two dogs, running errands, cooking, cleaning, or shuttling a child to an after-school activity or weekend sporting event
Right now, I definitely lack "me time" in a serious way (quite telling), in this volatile climate
On the other hand, But I also know that too much "me time" isn't going to work for me (an important development)
There lies the blem with retirement, in today's market environment
In a nutshell, not working at all sounds boring to me
This isn't to say that I don't enjoy taking a break from the grind and going on vacation
However, But vacationing as a decades-long lifestyle bably isn't feasible
However, And I don't want to end up in a situation where I retire and hate it
Additionally, Meanwhile, Now at this point you may be thinking, "Well, then just continue to work in retirement. " And I'd love to do that
Additionally, On the other hand, The blem is that the future of my industry is unknown, in today's market environment
At the same time, Years ago, I absolutely pictured myself working several hours a day in retirement, plugging away at my laptop I do now, in this volatile climate
Meanwhile, But as a content writer, there's a very real fear that in time, AI will take over my job and render fessionals me obsolete
Furthermore, Of course, this is a concern I may need to deal with ahead of retirement, too
The point, however, is that I'm no longer confident I'll be able to work in retirement the way I initially planned
And if I can't work, I'm worried I'll hate retirement as a result
I'm trying to pivot It's too soon for me to be making concrete plans for retirement (this bears monitoring)
I'm still bably a good couple of decades away from it, and a lot could change -- for better or for worse
But one thing I'm trying to do is shift my mindset a bit and come up with other ways to make retirement more fulfilling if working doesn't pan out
I do recognize that I could always volunteer, and that there's a lot of value in that
Robots may one day take over my job as a content writer, but I don't foresee a scenario where robots will be able to enter an animal shelter and take neglected puppies out for a stroll
I, on the other hand, would be delighted to do that several times a week
Moreover, I also think I'll need mental stimulation in retirement, given the current landscape
If working isn't feasible, perhaps I'll try taking classes or maybe learn a new language
However, And of course I could look for a job that AI hasn't taken over yet, given current economic conditions
It may not be my ideal job, but it could be a better option than sitting around the house unhappy (something worth watching), amid market uncertainty
Furthermore, Make sure you have a plan A lot of people look forward to retirement only to realize it's not so easy to have all of that constant downtime
On the other hand, That's definitely a concern of mine, and it's one I don't think people should ignore
If you're apaching retirement, think what you'll actually do with your days
On the other hand, Furthermore, And if you find that it's a struggle to come up with activities to fill those hours, you may want to consider working a bit longer, or finding some type of part-time work to transition to, in today's financial world
Otherwise, you risk ending up dissatisfied with retirement after spending so much time looking forward to it, considering recent developments
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