Re-envisioning Retirement

  Entrepreneur and author Marc Freedman argues that retirement can and should be transformed. His organization, Civic Ventures, was built on the vision of using “human capital”—or people’s skills, knowledge, and experiences—throughout life to benefit communities and society as a whole. According to Freedman (1999), if we can engage older individuals “in ways that fill urgent gaps in our society, the result would be a windfall for American civic life in the twenty-first century. We might just accomplish something else along the way: bring greater fulfillment and purpose to the postmidlife years and transform what it means to age in this country” (p. v). What do you think this new retirement will look like? What kinds of policies will be necessary to support this new framework for retirement? Do you agree with Freedman that these changes are inevitable? In your discussion as a group, identify some of the barriers to transforming retirement and suggest ways to address them.   Freedman, M. (1999). Prime time: How baby boomers will revolutionize retirement and transform America. New York, NY: BBS Public Affairs.