When you find your calling late in life, retirement can wait
When you find your calling late in life, retirement can wait
“My Economy” tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it, because we know the only numbers that really matter are the ones in your economy.
Susan Labarthe, a primary care physician in Vermont, had a bit of a late start on her dream job. She didn’t sit for her first medical school exam until the day of her 50th birthday.
“I wasn’t even thinking about retirement, my goodness,” Labarthe said. “When I started [a career change], I was in the mindset that I was halfway through my work life, so I had half my work life ahead of me. And I was approaching 60, so I did think it’s time to start saving for retirement, yes. Although, I wasn’t thinking about not working; I was thinking about being prudent.”
Labarthe is far from alone when it comes to delaying retirement, although other factors like inflation tend to be the reason. The Social Security Administration is expected to announce a large hike in monthly social security payouts for 2023, but as many as 25% of Americans are planning on delaying retirement to keep putting money away in the face of rising costs.
Labarthe is coming up on her 80th birthday, but she isn’t ready to settle down for full-time retirement.
“I finally got to the point where I didn’t want to work full time, but I didn’t want to give up what I was meant to be doing in this life,” Labarthe said. “And so one or two days a week is fine because I can get the satisfaction of doing what I’m educated to do.”
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