Green Retirement Blog

I Want You to Retire!

“It’s not that I’m all work and no play. But there’s just something - make that lots of things - wrong, in general, with retiring at 55, 62 or even 65. I would go so far as to call it profoundly selfish and unpatriotic.” So writes Andrew Yarrow, in the March 26th edition, of the Baltimore Sun. Read the full article here.

Mr. Yarrow goes on to claim that “Dropping out of the work force while still in one’s prime means ending one’s contributions to America’s strength, mortgaging our children’s and grandchildren’s future and leeching trillions of taxpayer dollars from the economy.” Here is where Mr. Yarrow gets patriotic, “For the nation, if millions of us worked until 67 instead of 62, Americans’ wealth and consumption would increase appreciably, fueling stronger economic growth.”

Mr. Yarrow’s argument appears to be that early retirement, even non-early retirement will damage the economy and therefore is un-patriotic. It is your patriotic duty, my fellow Americans, to keep working and consuming. A true patriot is a consumer. Hmm, where have I heard that before? When did consumption become patriotic? That’s right, George Bush after 9/11, when asked what Americans could do to support the country? “Go shopping” was his response.

I need to respond. Since Mr. Yarrow brings up retirement in the context of patriotism, a ludicrous connection, I must argue that retiring is a patriotic act. Retirement is patriotic, because contrary to what Mr. Yarrow believes, retirement is extremely good for the nation’s economy.

Your Retirement Will:

Decrease un-employment
Increase wages
Strengthen the dollar
Improve the trade deficit
Reduce inflation
Reduce Global Warming
and more…

Your retirement will create jobs and increase wages. Think about it. When you retire, someone will advance and take your place, earning higher wages. Someone else will need to be hired, or advance, to replace that person. Your retirement will have a positive effect on the lives of 2 or more of your fellow Americans. It’s called the “Multiplier Effect” in economics. The increase in wages and employment means also, that more money will be flowing into Social Security and Medicare, offsetting the losses from your retirement.

Your retirement will reduce global warming and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. When you retire, you stop commuting, and use less gasoline. This of course, has a positive impact on the air we breathe, and reduces global warming. It also reduces America’s dependence on foreign oil. A dependence that, according to Alan Greenspan, has cost the lives of 4,000 Americans in Iraq.

Your retirement will strengthen the dollar, reduce inflation, and improve the trade deficit. When you retire your consumption decreases. Contrary to what many people believe, your reduced consumption, will have a positive impact on the economy. Sticking with gasoline as the example. When you use less gas, you reduce the demand, bringing prices down. You have helped curb inflation. Less dollars are travelling overseas, to pay for the gasoline, thereby reducing America’s trade deficit. More dollars staying at home increases the value of the dollar.

So, as you can see, retirement is one of the most un-selfish and patriotic acts you can take. It improves the lives of your fellow Americans, strengthens our nation’s economy, and reduces global warming.

This is the Retirement Blog. To learn about how you can save hundreds of thousands of dollars, retire early, and help save the planet - visit the Green Retirement Planning Website.