When I was working, pretty much everyone over the age of 50 talked incessantly about their pending retirement. It got to the point where I would cut people off and ask them to stop talking about it. It's one thing to be not fully in the present and anticipate the future. It means a certain loss of focus and appreciation on the moment that we have, and by missing that moment we lose the opportunity to ever experience it again. The future holds other moments but, if we keep looking past them, our life becomes a stream of discontent. I know that we all do this to some degree at some times in our lives. But the focus on retirement for so many people seemed to border on the obsessive. To look forward to not working seems to be the ultimate American dream. And to express doubts about the benefits of not working, the joys it will bring, seems a sort of betrayal to the promise of America that we grew up with. I've always seen our culture as a weird hybrid between a relentless Calvinis
If you are approaching retirement age, you should know your rights and have thought through your options before you sign up to collect your hard earned social security benefit. A great way to learn about social security benefits is to access the federal government ’s social security website. The first page is titled “ Learn .” On it you can find information about: How retirement benefits work How to plan for retirement Determining your eligibility for social security Verifying your earnings history Estimating your expected benefit Determining at what age to start collecting your benefit The second section of the website describes how to apply for benefits. Topics include: Information you need to gather before you apply How to apply How far in advance you may apply Applying online Applying at a local office Applying by phone How to check you application status after you have applied How to appeal a decision How to withdraw your application The final section of the website is on manag