[sphinx]

No, I don't think people will work until they are 70 or 75. Most people will still want to retire long before that, and most others will be nudged, or kicked, out the door because they're slowing down, or haven't kept current with the latest whatever, or are simply three times more expensive than the up and coming youngster who can do the job.

Get rid of seniority based pay and COLA's, and the last problem would disappear.

We are going through a transition now, and it will get worse before it gets better. But gradually people are going to have to come to terms with the fact that they need to save for their own retirements. The world will be divided between those who participate early and regularly in thrift savings plans, buy affordable houses, and live within their means, vs. those who don't. With IRA's and 401(k)'s, middle income people have much better savings options than my generation did when we started out. They need to take advantage of them. But first we have to get rid of the idea that someone else will be around to fund our comfortable retirements.

[abb]

Seems I recall a old fable that mentions such a plan.

https://www.dltk-teach.com/fables/grasshopper/mstory.htm
The Grasshopper and the Ants

[surrey]

We have a friend who is retired from the NYPD. He’s now 71 and has been retired for 30 years. Twenty and out. He receives a lovely pension and his wife is a retired NY teacher. To say they have a very comfortable lifestyle would be an understatement.