Let me ask you, “What does retirement really look and feel like?” In a recent series of e-mails and social media posts, I decided to push the limits by answering this question in a disturbing light. There were four images, including a man holding a gun to his head as he screamed out loud. Another was of a distraught businessman who seems indecisive and overwhelmed. Then there was a woman pulling on her hair in anguish and deep-set pain. And finally, there’s a picture of a guy who seems mad at the world and is giving life a thumbs-down.
Can you imagine what clients would think or say if you handed them a retirement planning brochure that had these negative images? I can hear the conversation now:
“John and Mary, I am so excited about your plans to retire this year. I know you guys have both been working hard to get here. In order to help you with this transition, we have a new booklet we give our clients. It’s called The Real Faces of Retirement.”
As I hand them the brochure, John smirks as Mary gasps.
John says, “Is this some sort of joke?”
“No,” I reply, “It’s the stuff no one ever tells people about retirement,” adding, “Truth is, a growing number of people choose to kill themselves after age 65. They lose purpose and direction and feel it’s the only way out.”
Then I turn the page, “Same with some other mental health issues like depression and addiction. People go into retirement thinking life will be easy and they will automatically adapt, but some quickly realize it’s not what they expected it to be. They are alone, disconnected, feel irrelevant, and like they have been put out to pasture. It’s sad but they don’t have a place or role anymore. It’s one reason we feel investing in drug companies is a good long-term investment theme.”
Now Mary is sitting there with her hand over her mouth, not knowing what to say, as John is rubbing his forehead trying to take it all in.
Turning the page again, I say, “And then we still have to factor in other challenges like adult children and the havoc they can cause. Plus, there’s the likelihood of cancer, Alzheimer’s, dementia, heart disease or stroke robbing you of precious years and activities.” 