Why Wealthy People Would Willingly Skip Retirement
There isn't much stopping wealthy people from trading in their work boots for boat shoes and retiring early.
But it turns out some would rather keep working through retirement – or not retire at all, a new report says.
Many workers who earn more than $750,000 say they have no plans to retire, according to Spectrem Group, a financial consulting and market research firm.
It sounds nutty, but there's some logic to the trend. Many wealthy people (think top 15%, not 1%) aren't the trust fund babies and lottery jackpot winners pop culture would like us to think they are.
If a wealthy worker's income is mostly derived from their paycheck, they're more likely to associate their money with work and feel less secure at the prospect of ending their cash flow altogether. They may simply feel like they haven't earned enough to sustain their lifestyles for the long-term. If you're used to an $800,000/year lifestyle, you'll feel pressure to replicate that same income in retirement, as well.
"Not only do those with the highest incomes attribute 'hard work' for their success, those with the highest incomes are more likely than other segments to indicate that they will never retire," the report says.
In fact, in another study, most wealthy investors said they wouldn't really feel financially secure until they had saved at least $5 million.
Bank accounts aside, this is one retirement fear that workers from all income brackets have in common.
“Being able to retire when I want to” was the No. 1 choice when Spectrem asked workers about job-related concerns, especially among those with lower incomes.
In TransAmerica's 2013 retirement report, more than 60% of workers said they are less confident that they can save enough for retirement since the recession, and a nearly equal number said they either plan on working past age 65 or not being able to retire at all.
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