Just this morning I was talking with my sister and the subject of retirement came up.
She mentioned that when she says tells someone she has retired most of them say they didn't know she had that kind of money.
They didn't know she was that wealthy.
That is an assumption they make without consideration.
They assume that it takes a large amount of money to simply walk away from the work force.
Enough money to cover everything for the rest of your years.
All of them end by saying "I wish I could retire".
In a few more years they will be at the age of retirement and then the real truth will start to emerge.
Both the advantages and the disadvantages.
It doesn't take a lot of money to be able to retire.
It usually takes a lot of years.
Most of the people I know who have retired from work have done so because they have reached the age of retirement.
They have reached age 65 and are now making ends meet on the social security benefits.
They are not living on easy street and enjoying the golden years.
Some people know they can't afford to retire at 65 and continue to work into their 70's and 80's while others are actually forced into retirement the month they reach 65.
Most of those retired persons are living on the social security benefits controlled by the federal government.
(and congress) They are living on the money the government collected from them through all the years they spent working.
After age 65 your some of that money is returned to you in the form of an equal monthly amount.
That does not make you wealthy enough for a good retirement.
It only allows for the essentials to sustain a lesser life than the one you were struggling through before retirement.
The average monthly amount is approximately $1200.
00.
For someone who was earning $2000.
to $2500.
per month the golden years are not so golden.
Those years are sometimes more of a struggle than the years working.
Could you make ends meet on a thousand dollars a month? I didn't think so.
Most people can't.
In a lot of homes that amount barely makes the mortgage payment and food on the table.
There are some people who have made it in life and are not dependent on the aid of the government to finally leave the work place.
Some actually are able to retire early and enjoy everything life has to offer but that is not the majority.
Those are the ones you see driving around the country in a nice Motorhome.
Enjoying travels to exotic places and dinning in fine places.
Those are the ones you could call wealthy, not the average man or woman.
As I said before most of the people who have retired have done it because of age not convenience.
So when you see that another of your friends or acquaintances have left the job behind and moved on don't assume that they are wealthy.
Assume they are on Social Security and struggling.