[amy40]

And although jns parents had 15 yr difference, that's seems better than 25 yr difference. Maybe with early retirement a 60 yr old spouse could still be travelling around with a mobile 75 yr old spouse.

Jns were your parents able to travel together when they retired?

[jns]

They never traveled, really. My father probably was never more than 300 miles from where he was born in Buffalo, NY. My mother went to Oregon on a trip as a teenager and out here to California when I flew her out one time. She also visited my sister in Florida and brother in North Carolina. But as my father got older, she didn't want to be away from him too long. But traveling for pleasure - never. My mother was never sure that she would outlive my father until it happened.

[atskitty2]

What if they don't intend to retire?

For me, it just makes no sense to think that far ahead. I try not to be foolish in choices, but to make major decisions based on what may or may not work in 20 yrs...I just won't do that.

[amy40]

What if they don't intend to retire?
.

read recently the actual average age of retirement now is 60
of course, that includes people who lost jobs before retirement age, as well as people having to go on disability, not just those who willingly retired

in our neighborhood, of people who have retired, most of them retired early.....due to job loss, one took a deal to retire early from company

I know, however, many are unable to retire, a lot of cashiers and baggers at stores in our area appear to be over retirement age and seem to have trouble standing/moving

[jns]

I think my father retired around 70. By retired I mean he no longer worked for other people. He and my mother still did small crop farming. That gradually cut back in his 80s but never really stopped. The ability to retire was due to spendthrift habits built up from the Great Depression and the WWII years. Social Security was enough and even allowed savings to be added to.