Military Officer - September 2007 - (Page 10)

fromtheeditor Retirement Ready? Retirement means different things to different people — working a part-time job, moving to an urban high-rise, or settling down in the suburbs. What’s in store for your retirement? A s you heft this month’s magazine, you might notice it’s a weighty issue — both in physical weight and in editorial substance. In fact, at 132 pages, this month’s Military Ofﬁcer is the largest issue MOAA has printed in its 62 years of publishing. This month’s magazine tops the chart, because it’s one of our twice-yearly retirement-themed issues. We’ve found over the years that retirement is a subject that appeals to the vast majority of our readers. “Why is that?” you might wonder, when so many of our members are currently serving or working in second careers. The answer is that even if retirement is ﬁve, 10, or 20-plus years in the future, now is the time you should be planning for that inevitable event. And a cold reality is that future retirements might not resemble those of the past. “It’s not your father’s retirement,” reads the headline of a Gallup News Service report (The Gallup Organization, May 14). According to that report, “Americans are redeﬁning what retirement means for them, and the new deﬁnition includes part-time work.” One reason for the shift, according to Gallup, is concern about the future solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund. Another reason, according to Federal Reserve Board statistics, is Americans are not saving nearly enough for their own retirements. Of future retirees, says the Gallup organization, “Barely half say they expect to have enough money to live 10 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2007 comfortably when they do retire; four in 10 are doubtful they will have enough.” None of us wants to see our golden years tarnish. To ensure our futures will be shiny and bright, we must plan ahead. In that vein, Military Ofﬁcer regularly brings you news and tips to help with your decision making. For example, when you think about retirement, are you and your spouse thinking along the same lines? If you’re not in sync, your relationship might be in for a strain. According to a Fidelity Investments survey of spouses’ attitudes toward retirement planning, more than one-third of couples disagreed on their expected retirement ages and their expected lifestyles in retirement. Learn more by reading our story “Common Ground” on page 84. Assuming you and your spouse are planning harmoniously, one of the decisions you’ll have to make is where to retire. The story “At Home in a High-Rise” on page 58 discusses why many retirees are calling urban high-rise communities home. Here’s to a well-planned, rosy retirement — be it now or in the distant future! — Col. Warren S. Lacy, USA-Ret. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - September 2007

Military Officer - September 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Plan for Your Future At Home in a High-Rise Lone Star Living Common Ground Insert: Community Source Cover Story: Waging War on Disease More Than Beaches MOAA Scholarship Donors Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - September 2007

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