Atlas, the humanoid robot that dazzled followers for more than a decade with its outdoor running, awkward dancing and acrobatic back flips, has powered down. In other words, it is retiring.

On Wednesday, Boston Dynamics, the company that created it, announced the arrival of the next generation of humanoid robots a fully electric robot (also named Atlas) for real-world commercial and industrial applications.

For anyone worried about what would happen to the hydraulic bipedal machine (a robot home? the junkyard? a window display?) that was created for research purposes, the company had an answer. A spokesman, Nikolas Noel, said that retirement would mean that the Atlas would move to its robot retirement home, which is to say that it would be sitting in our office lobby museum with other decommissioned robots.

The old Atlas was used to research full-body mobility and to explore what was possible in robotics, Mr. Noel said. It was not designed for commercial use and was first developed as part of a competition to further the use of robots in future natural and man-made disasters, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Pentagon.

For almost a decade, Atlas has sparked our imagination, inspired the next generations of roboticists and leapt over technical barriers in the field, Boston Dynamics said in a farewell video posted on social media on Tuesday.

Now its time for our hydraulic Atlas robot to kick back and relax, the company said.

The companys farewell video captured the brawny 6-foot-2 machine in action over the years. That included taking a stroll in a grassy field, leaping on boxes (or picking up 10-pound ones), carefully walking on a rock bed and awkwardly shimmying.

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Atlas, a Humanoid Robot From Boston Dynamics, Is Leaping Into Retirement - The New York Times

Experience is the worst teacher. It always gives the test first and the instruction afterward. This is a quote by Vern Law who played 16 seasons pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. This is a relevant quote to start todays column because it was through some very tough experiences that it was discovered that very important instructions were not followed that would allow lifetime insurance coverage under a postponed Minimum Retirement Age+ 10 retirement.

It is also possible that better instructions need to be written for former federal employees who choose the option to postpone applying for retirement under the FERS MRA + 10 retirement option. The postponed retirement date is allowed so that the applicant can avoid a 5% reduction for every year they are under age 62 (prorated by the number of months) at the time the FERS annuity benefit commences.

The FERS Application for Deferred or Postponed Retirement (Form RI 92-19) is used when a former employee wants to apply for an annuity which will begin at least one month after they separate from federal service and they have completed at least five years of creditable civilian service and are eligible for a deferred retirement at age 62, or they have completed at least 10 years of creditable service (including at least five years of creditable civilian service) and are eligible for an annuity at the MRAThe MRA is age 57 for individuals born in 1970 or later and as young as 55 if born before 1948. The RI 92-19 should be used by those who are eligible for a deferred annuity at age 62 or the MRA, as well as those who were eligible for an immediate annuity at the MRA, but who chose to postpone the commencing date to reduce or avoid the age reduction.

Today is Part 1 of a two-part column that addresses the option to choose a postponed commencing date of an immediate MRA + 10 retirement. The potential problem that you will see in the following examples is that there was no clear correlation included in the instructions for form RI 92-19 between the date retirement begins and the entitlement to reinstate valuable federal insurance benefits. The instructions on Form RI 92-19 may have lacked three critical elements important when writing instructions: The author(s) of the form failed to consider 1) who would be completing the form, 2) how they would understand and interpret the instructions; and 3) how important it is to know the difference between a postponed and deferred retirement.

Consider the following real-life examples:

Mark separated from federal employment at age 57 after completing 20 years of federal service. He initially filed his application based on the advice of his HR specialist who told him to file after he separated at age 57 requesting to have the retirement begin at age 60. She didnt say how long after he separated, so he mailed the application in immediately after his last day on the job. OPM returned the application explaining that they could not keep an unprocessed signature longer than one year. The letter stated the following: A Deferred Annuity under FERS commences on the annuitants 62nd birthday with 5 years of creditable civilian service, or if MRA with 10 years of creditable service.

Based on this letter, Mark delayed his application until he was 62 as instructed in the letter that accompanied his returned application. Due to Mark selecting a starting date of the first of the month after his 62nd birthday, Mark found out that he made two very expensive errors.

Mark appealed his loss to OPM based on the letter he received earlier from OPM that he interpreted as instructing him to wait until age 62 to re-apply for his retirement. His request was denied because he was told that the date elected must fall within a window which opens 31 days after the date the application is received and closes two days before the applicants 62nd birthday. He was provided instructions to file a request for reconsideration of this denial. For the second time, OPM denied his request to backdate his application to his 60th birthday and denied his request for reinstatement of insurance. He filed an appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board and lost this appeal as well. Apparently, the law on this matter is clear even though the instructions on Form 92-19 were not.

Tammy (not me!) reached her MRA and completed 10 years of federal service in March 2018. She filed for her postponed retirement to begin on May 1, 2023, the first of the month after reaching age 62. Tammys husband felt responsible for choosing this date as they both read the instructions on Form RI 92-19, and he agreed with her that it was important to be 62 when the benefit began. After all, she had to reach her MRA before she separated from federal employment to qualify to apply for a postponed retirement. She knew that if she separated before reaching her MRA that the retirement would be considered deferred, and she would not be eligible for reinstatement of her insurance. Little did this couple know that she had to be at least two days younger than age 62 to qualify for a postponed retirement that would have provided the opportunity to reinstate insurance benefits. Tammy is appealing on the grounds that the instructions werent clear when she chose the date based on no warning to let her know that choosing a date after turning age 62 would result in the permanent loss of insurance benefits. So far, OPM has denied her request to change the date.

Warren is another former employee who resigned from federal service with entitlement to a postponed FERS retirement benefit. He left federal service at the end of January 2022. He turned 62 in November 2023 and requested an annuity commencement date of Dec. 1, 2023. After all, like Tammy, he thought it was important to be at least age 62 to begin the unreduced benefit. Because he chose to begin his FERS annuity the first of the month after reaching age 62 rather than the first of the month of his 62nd birthday, OPM denied him reinstatement of his insurance and denied his credit for his unused sick leave because his application was processed as a deferred, not a postponed retirement. When he realized his error, Warren submitted a request to OPM to change the commencement date to Nov. 1, 2023, rather than Dec. 1, 2023. OPM denied his request and replied to Warren providing only two options:

Something must happen two times to be considered a pattern and the three examples outlined seem to be a pattern of former employees misunderstanding the importance of the commencement date of the postponed annuity and reinstatement of insurance. These three examples are only from my experience; could there be more? I feel certain that there are, and I would love to hear from you if you have been impacted by missing some important points when filing your application for a deferred or postponed FERS retirement. Next week, well consider some reasons for these mistakes and how to avoid them.

The rest is here:
Postponing retirement problems: Part 1 - Government Executive

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Odds are you cant correctly answer this basic question about retirement investing.

It was included in a survey released earlier this week by the TIAA Institute and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC). More than half of the respondents got the answer wrong.

The question is below; the correct answer is at the end of this column:

Latisha plans to start saving for retirement by setting aside $2,000 this year. Her employer offers a 401(k) plan that fully matches a workers contributions up to $5,000 each year. Under which scenario does Latisha have the largest amount in retirement savings at year-end?

This question was one of five retirement fluency questions that were part of the TIAA/GFLEC survey. Another focused on how Social Security benefits are calculated, and even fewer (42%) answered it correctly:

Which statement about Social Security is false?

The point of these questions is not to make us feel bad about ourselves. The authors of the survey found that financial literacy can make a big real-world difference in how well prepared we are for retirement.

This is illustrated in the chart below. Of those who correctly answered at least four of the five retirement fluency questions, 75% were very or somewhat confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years. That compares to just 41% among those who correctly answered none of the five questions.

Furthermore, notice that theres a monotonic relationship between the number of retirement fluency questions correctly answered and retirement confidence.

Some of you may still wonder if its worth it. Financial planning requires mastery of a number of different fields, ranging from econometrics to human psychology. Just deciding when to start claiming Social Security benefits is a complex calculation involving close to one hundred separate variables.

Acquiring this mastery can be lengthy and arduous, and the potential benefit can be offset by one or two strokes of bad luck. As legendary investor Benjamin Graham, the author of The Intelligent Investor, famously admitted near the end of his illustrious career as an investment adviser (as well as being a mentor to Warren Buffet): One lucky break, or one supremely shrewd decision can we tell them apart? may count for more than a lifetime of journeyman efforts.

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It would be a mistake to see luck and literacy as in tension with each other, however. Opportunity knocks at the door of those who are ready for it.

Graham followed up his quote above with this point: Behind the luck or the crucial decision, there must usually exist a background of preparation and disciplined capacity. One needs to be sufficiently established and recognized so that these opportunities will knock at his particular door. One must have the means, the judgment and the courage to take advantage of them.

Luckily, you dont have to become a master at all aspects of retirement planning. You can engage the services of a qualified financial planner who has acquired that mastery. Just dont think it isnt worth the effort.

The correct answer to the first question is #1, since it leads to a retirement portfolio that is twice as large as #2 $4,200 at the end of the year, in contrast to $2,100.

The correct answer to the second question also is #1, since the amount you receive in Social Security benefits is a function of your 35 highest-paid years not just the last two.

Mark Hulbert is a regular contributor to MarketWatch. His Hulbert Ratings tracks investment newsletters that pay a flat fee to be audited. He can be reached at

More: Take MarketWatchs 2024 Financial Literacy Quiz

Also read: Financial Literacy Month is about more than saving or budgeting. Its about taking stock of your life.

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Test yourself: See if you're one of the few who can answer these 2 basic retirement questions - Yahoo Finance

If retirement looms for you and your partner, the timing of when each of you decides to leave workforce may not align. In such scenarios, where one spouse is still actively employed while the other has already transitioned into retirement, navigating this period can present challenges. Yahoo Finance's Kerry Hannon joins Wealth! to provide valuable insights on how couples should strategize and manage this phase of their lives.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth!

This post was written by Angel Smith

BRAD SMITH: Well, retirements it's an exciting time, so I hear. But what happens when your partner retires before you? To break down how to balance money conversations when one half of the couple is retired we have Yahoo Finance reporter Kerry Hannon. Hey, Kerry.

KERRY HANNON: Hey, Brad. Great to be here. This is a big issue, particularly this year, which is peak 65, which means more people are turning 65 this year than in any other year previously. So a lot of people think about retirement. And a study I saw last week, Ameriprise came out with a study, said that most people or most couples are fine with the other person retiring, but very few couples retire at the same time.

And so that becomes an issue because you're shifting from saving to spending. So your roles are shifting in your relationship. And what happens is resentment can really build up because most couples actually do not agree on spending priorities. So it's really critical for people to pay attention to some of these very basic things before this resentment starts to fester.

And so I recommend people really take the time to, you know, have a money date. I mean, prior to stepping away from the workplace, if one partner is stepping away, you need to have that conversation about, OK, where's the money coming from? Like I said to my-- my husband decided he wanted to step out at age 70, but I said, hey, you know, OK, so how are you going to pay yourself?

So you need to think about setting up what we're used to getting a paycheck. So you need to set up which accounts are you going to pull from. These are big questions to ask. And you also need to think about, you know, I think it's a great idea not only to have that money date but also to bring in a financial advisor.

If you're not already working with somebody, it's really important to bring somebody who's sort of unbiased that can holistically look at all your accounts and say, OK, let's set up a recurring payment that's going to cover these costs going into the accounts so that there isn't this disconnect about one person earning and one spending. And so this can become an issue.

And frankly, what's really important is you've got to think about marriage. Marriage is at its very heart a business partnership. So it's cash flow. It's income in. It's spending out. So you really need to be on the same page. And I just think a lot of couples are going to be facing this in the next period of time. So it's important to get a grip on it.

Link:
Retiring at different times? Here are some things to discuss - Yahoo Finance

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't have a single financial regret. Even millionaires and early retirees likely had a few stumbles on the road to financial freedom.

Take Steve Adcock. The 42-year-old retired from his corporate job in 2016 with about $900,000, a total that market gains soon pushed over $1 million. These days he pegs his net worth at about $1.3 million and lives with his wife in a home he purchased for cash in Arizona.

The couple don't currently draw from their ample savings, instead electing to let their investments continue to grow while they pursue passion projects to bring in the money they live on.

But even after seven years of blissful semi-retirement, the author of "Millionaire Habits" says he wishes he'd done things a little differently early on.

"The one thing I really wish I did more of was saving, and especially investing more aggressively," he says. "It's exponential growth. The longer you invest, the more money you'll have at retirement. Period."

Adcock recalls his early 20s as a time where he was doing the "bare minimum" financially.

"I was saving 10%, which is the commonly recommended saving/investing percentage of your income," he says. "So at least I was doing that."

For many would-be savers, what Adcock describes as the minimum is a very reasonable starting point especially given how he invested his savings.

"I was at a company that offered a 401(k) and also had a Roth IRA, and contributed a portion to each," he says. "Thanks to [advice from] my dad, I contributed enough to get the match in my 401(k) that was literally free money."

If you hear a faint rumbling in the distance, that's the sound of a legion of financial planners nodding in approval. By contributing enough in his 401(k) to receive a full match, Adcock was theoretically earning a 100% return on his money. And by investing some of his savings in a Roth IRA, he set himself up to be able to make tax-free withdrawals in retirement.

For many young investors, Adcock's set-up would be considered a great start. The key, financial experts say, is to find a savings rate that you're initially comfortable with and gradually up it over time until it it's in line with your financial goals.

Adcock would eventually do just that he just wishes he saved a little more money earlier on.

"My problem was, I was used to living like a college student not spending on anything and not really getting to enjoy anything," he says. "So when I finally got a job it's like, 'Yes, I've got all this money coming in. The last thing I want to do is save and invest it.'"

Adcock, at least initially, had fallen into a trap that financial experts call "lifestyle creep" a state in which your spending rises along with your salary.

By 2014, the year Adcock married his wife, the couple were making a combined $220,000 the equivalent of about $290,000 in 2024 dollars. Hoping to accelerate their savings and kickstart a journey toward early retirement, the couple put themselves on a strict budget and funneled 70% of everything they made into 401(k)s, IRAs and taxable brokerage accounts.

"We would take our budget, we would look at our necessary expenses, like our mortgage, our cell phones and food, things that you just have to spend money on, and we would invest the vast majority of the rest, because we wanted to achieve early retirement as quickly as possible," Adcock says.

"If we were on a 10-year plan, maybe we wouldn't have been so strict. But I hated what I did. I wanted out, like, today. So that was the motivation."

Want to make extra money outside of your day job?Sign up for CNBC's new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD.

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Self-made millionaire who retired at 35 shares his No. 1 money regret: I was doing the 'bare minimum' - CNBC

Chris Gentry is meticulous about his craft hes a professional woodworker at a small company in Brooklyn, N.Y., that makes custom dining and coffee tables, cabinets and interiors.

He creates pieces on his own from start to finish and enjoys that freedom. Its nice to have control over the way something should be done, he said.

Mr. Gentry, 36, is equally conscientious about saving for retirement. He has contributed the maximum allowable amounts to his employers 401(k) plan over the past two years and also topped out a Roth individual retirement account. He hopes to buy an apartment and start a family soon with his partner. It seems like all that will be expensive, so Im trying to get an early start on retirement savings while I can, he said. Between the two accounts, he has managed to save $80,000.

His employer kicks in a generous 5 percent of his salary to the 401(k) no matter how much Mr. Gentry contributes. But he worries about the plans high-cost mutual funds. Theyre expensive compared with what I can get in the I.R.A., he said. He even wonders if he should contribute to the plan at all. Im not sure how to determine at what point the fees become so expensive that the benefits of the 401(k) are outweighed by the fees.

Fees are one of the most important factors of successful retirement investing. They determine how much ends up in your pocket after mutual funds and 401(k) plan providers take their cut. The bite especially hurts younger workers, who face the risk that high fees will compound over time.

Fees compound in the same way that returns compound, said Scott Puritz, managing director at Rebalance, a firm that often works with clients on 401(k) rollovers and advises companies on ways to improve their plans. People are numb to the differences, but its a major determinant of long-term returns.

Read the original post:
What to Do When Your 401(k) Leaves Something to Be Desired - The New York Times

Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors

Kylie Kelce commemorated her husband Jason Kelce's retirement from the NFL with the most thoughtful and personalized gift.

On April 22, Kylie took to Instagram to unveil the special present: a meticulously crafted wooden model of the Philadelphia Eagles' Lincoln Financial Stadium. The model, complete with Jason's name, the number 62, and a list of his notable accomplishmentssix First Team All-Pro titles, seven Pro Bowl appearances, and the team's 2018 Super Bowl winwas shared in a video on her Instagram Story.

"This beautiful custom design was two years in the making," the 31-year-old explained in her post, crediting designer Dana Theobald for the creation. "I contacted @danatheo.designs two years ago! She came up with this beautiful custom design and then waited for me to give the retirement green light and J's final list of accolades," she wrote, expressing her gratitude for the artist's patience and creativity.

In another video clip, Kylie provided a more detailed view of the stadium model, thanking Theobald once again: "Thank you so much @danatheo.designs for your patience and the perfect retirement gift! It meant the world to me!"

Jason, 36, formally announced his departure from the NFL in March, capping off a distinguished 13-year career exclusively with the Eagles. During his retirement announcement, he took a moment to acknowledge his wife, whom he met in 2014 and married in 2018. The couple has three daughters: Wyatt, 4; Ellie, 3; and Bennie, 13 months.

"I think it's no coincidence I have enjoyed my best years of my career with Kylie by my side. Every accolade I've ever received has come with her in my life," he said about his wife in his speech.

Even though Jason has retired from playing, he expressed a desire to maintain a connection with the team. Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer in January, he opened up about his future plans with the Eagles organization, saying, "I don't know what's going to happen for me, but I do know I still want to be involved in the organization and still want to be a part of it, regardless of what the decision is."

Kelce elaborated on his commitment, emphasizing his attachment to the team's broader impact as a whole. "Because I don't want to ever feel like I'm on the outside looking in on these achievements and these accolades and these opportunities that largely represent entire cities and fan bases and organizations," he continued. "It's too good a feeling to pass up."

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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Kylie Kelce Reveals Sweet Retirement Gift She Got for Husband Jason Kelce - Newsweek

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Under the Secure Act, certain heirs must empty inherited accounts by the 10th year after the original account owner's death. Otherwise, they could face a hefty penalty. In 2022, the IRS proposed mandatory yearly withdrawals if the original account owner had already started distributions.

Amid questions, the IRS has previously waived the penaltyfor missed RMDs, and the agency on April 16 extended that relief for 2024.

More from Personal Finance: Series I bonds 'still a good deal' despite expected falling rate, experts say Biden administration releases its new student loan forgiveness proposal Why a $100,000 income no longer buys the American Dream in most places

"It's so confusing," said individual retirement account expert and certified public accountant Ed Slott, speaking about the 10-year rule.

"Even the IRS has to give people a break until they can figure out if [beneficiaries] are subject to RMDs or not," he said.

The latest penalty relief only applies to certain heirs, known as "non-eligible designated beneficiaries," subject to the 10-year withdrawal rule under the Secure Act. Non-eligible designated beneficiaries include heirs who aren't a spouse, minor child, disabled, chronically ill or certain trusts.

The latest IRS update says those heirs won't incur a penalty for missed RMDs for inherited accounts in 2024. But they still must empty the account by the original 10-year deadline.

That "could be a little dangerous because it is potentially just letting you kick the can down the road on making a decision," according to certified financial planner Edward Jastrem, chief planning officer at Heritage Financial Services in Westwood, Massachusetts.

With years of delayed RMDs, heirs with sizable pretax inherited retirement accounts may need larger future distributions to empty the account within 10 years.

Before 2018, the federal individual brackets were 10%, 15%, 25%, 28%, 33%, 35% and 39.6%. But five of these brackets are lower through 2025, at 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. Without changes from Congress, tax brackets will revert to 2017 levels.

Depending on your tax bracket, it could make sense to start making withdrawals in 2024, especially with higher tax brackets on the horizon, Slott said.

Of course, you need to weigh your entire financial situation while planning for inherited retirement account withdrawals. "It's one of many moving parts," Jastrem added.

View original post here:
IRS waives mandatory withdrawals from certain inherited individual retirement accounts again - CNBC

Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down. Peak boomers are getting ready to retire. Alistair Berg/Getty Images

The youngest baby boomers are about to enter retirement and most of them aren't financially prepared for this next stage of their life.

Beginning this year, over 30 million boomers born between 1959 to 1964 will start to turn 65, marking the "largest and final cohort" of that generation entering retirement, according to a new report from the Alliance for Lifetime Income's Retirement Income Institute.

Many in this cohort, known as "peak boomers," are facing significant economic headwinds, the report said. It's what some have called the boomer retirement bomb and it might be costly for the rest of the workers in the economy.

Through an analysis of data from the Federal Reserve and the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, the report found that 52.5% of peak boomers have $250,000 or less in assets, meaning that they'll likely deplete their savings and rely primarily on income from Social Security in retirement. Another 14.6% of that cohort have $500,000 or less in assets, meaning "nearly two-thirds will strain to meet their needs in retirement," the report said.

"America has never seen so many people reaching retirement age over a short period, and well over half of them will find it challenging to meet their needs through their retirements, let alone maintain their current standard of living," Robert Shapiro, an author of the report and the former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, said in a statement. "They lack the protected income that many older Boomers have from solid pensions or higher savings."

The peak boomers' retirement wave could also impact the overall US economy. The report projects that employers will have to replace as many as 14.8 million peak boomers primarily in the manufacturing, healthcare, and education industries which could decrease economic productivity.

On top of that, the generation's retirement is likely to have an impact on consumer spending. Using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, the report found that peak boomers will spend $204 billion less in 2032 than they did in 2022, with the transportation sector taking the biggest hit.

Still, as the report noted, younger employees are likely to fill some of the jobs that peak boomers will leave, and productivity will rise as technology advances.

Peak boomers entered the workforce just as retirement plans shifted away from defined benefit plans like pensions which generally guarantee stable income and are employer-subsidized to contribution plans like 401(k)s, which rely on workers to pay into them.

Of the different types of retirement-savings plans the report looked at, defined benefit pensions have the least disparities along racial, gender, and ethnicity lines (although there are significant disparities in annual payments) but only 24% of peak boomers hold them, and even those plans are coming up against potential underfunding.

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Already, many retirement-aged Americans are living on paltry incomes. A little over half of Americans over 65 live on incomes of $30,000 or less a year, per the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, with the largest share living on $10,000 to $19,000. And, per Business Insider's calculations of CPS ASEC data, 79.2% of retirees receive some type of Social Security income.

Retirement-aged Americans, many of whom fall in that peak boomer category, previously told Business Insider that they might just have to continue working until they die or become infirm to stay afloat.

"Only the very wealthy are going to have any dignity in their old age," Pam, who is nearly 58, said. "And the rest of us are just going to pray that they can die while they still have a job because nobody wants to die on the street."

Are you a boomer unprepared for retirement? Contact these reporters at asheffey@businessinsider.com and jkaplan@businessinsider.com.

See the rest here:
'Peak boomers' retiring without pensions to hit economy, Social Security - Business Insider

Hope Murray retired in 2013 after a 50-year career that ranged from game show producer to Hollywood party planner to casino executive.She settled into a life of golf, game nights and pickleball in her San Diego community, her daughter living nearby.Then things got more expensive. Gas was nearly $5 a gallon, medication costs were adding up, the grocery bill was increasing.So she downsized, stopped driving as much and waited longer between haircuts.But she could no longer afford some of her medications. "It got kind of scary. I needed some extra money coming in," said Murray.So last October, at the age of 80, Murray ended her retirement and got a job giving out samples at Costco.She likes observing the people some go grocery shopping in heels and a full face of makeup and others wear pajamas and slippers. Some people take one sample and others gobble three or four."It just comes into my checking account every other week, and I can pay for everything," she said of her $18-an-hour paycheck. "My plan was to put the checks into a savings account, but it didn't work out that way. I had to use it for cost of living."At 81, she isn't sure if she'll be able to go back into retirement. "I don't know how long I'll be working. It just all depends," she said.Murray isn't alone.Americans over 75 are the fastest-growing age group in the workforce, more than quadrupling in size since 1964, according to the Pew Research Center. Forecasters expect that cohort of older, working Americans to double over the next decade.'A tale of two retirements'There are a number of reasons why Americans are working later into life.People are living longer and are more likely to be healthy into old age.The nature of work has also changed. "More people are working at desk jobs that don't require much physical labor," said Gal Wettstein, a senior research economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "That contributes to people's ability to work longer."Zoom, and the post-pandemic boom in remote work also makes it easier for older Americans to remain in the workforce, he said.But while a 65-year-old is more likely to apply for a desk job or remote work than something that requires heavy lifting, said Monique Morrissey, a senior economist specializing in retirement security at the Economic Policy Institute, about 50% of older workers still have physically demanding jobs.For many people, though, working into their golden years simply comes down to lacking enough money to stop working and keep a roof over their heads."It's a tale of two retirements," Morrissey said. While plenty of older Americans are working good jobs later into life by choice, others have struggled to find their place in the workforce.Social Security payments still provide about 90% of income for more than a quarter of older adults, according to Social Security Agency surveys.But without intervention, the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by the mid-2030s, meaning that only a portion of retirees' expected benefits will be paid out. Lawmakers have faced a decades-long political stalemate on how to fix it.Over the years, retirement plans evolved away from pensions that encourage workers to retire by 65. About half of private sector workers were covered by those so-called defined-benefit plans in the mid-1980s, but by 2022 only 15% had them.What's left is the 401(k), which 68% of private industry workers have access to, but only 50% use.Anything it takesBut sometimes even a pension isn't enough.Heidi Brockway, 66, retired from a 30-year career in early education in 2019, right before the Covid pandemic. She had a small pension from the school district she worked for but soon realized it wouldn't be enough.She spent the next two years applying for jobs and hitting wall after wall."I was applying to jobs that I was perfectly qualified for, if not overly qualified, and I would just get zapped time and time again," she said."I finally gave up in Los Angeles because it was just not happening," she said. She sold her house and moved with her husband to Southeast Florida, where her sister and nephew lived."I was thinking maybe there would be more opportunities there. And maybe the economy was a little bit more friendly to older people," she explained.After 11 months of looking in Florida, Brockway was offered a job as an aide at a nearby preschool."I now sweep, clean toilets, mop and empty trash for $13.40 an hour and all the pride I can swallow. But I am employed at least," she said. "I was an early education teacher for 30 years. Now I clean a preschool. But I can afford groceries."Unemployment in the U.S. is near historic lows, sitting at 3.8%, and employers are taking a closer look at people who used to be at the end of the hiring line, said Morrissey. But older workers are often left out of the employment boom.Video below: Scammers put new twist on Social Security scam"It's a particularly strong market for certain workers," she said. "That's people who are changing jobs, younger workers and non-college educated workers." Older workers tend not to change jobs, and they're more likely to have a college degree.A lot of the jobs that older workers do get, she said, involve a salary cut or a lack of benefits.Confronting ageismIt's illegal in the United States to discriminate against an older worker because of their age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older in the workplace.But there's a high burden of proof, and it's even more difficult for an older job seeker to prove that they didn't get a role because of their age.A recent survey by AARP found that about two-thirds of adults over the age of 50 think that older workers face discrimination in the workplace. Nearly 90% of those workers think ageism is commonplace.Bob Vaughn turns 65 this June and has been looking for work since he was laid off from his role as an IT consultant at age 63."I started interviewing immediately," he said. Many interviewers praised his experience and seemed interested in offering him a job. But ultimately, he said each ended in an iteration of the same comment: We have decided to move in a different direction."I think the 800-pound gorilla is that I'm 64 and a half," he said. "And as colleagues of mine would say, age discrimination is rampant out there."Researchers have done what they call "audit studies," in which they send the same resume to employers and only alter the applicant's age, said Wettstein, of the Center for Retirement Research. Older applicants got fewer callbacks."Some of it might be ageism, just an aversion to hiring older people," said Wettstein. "Some of it might be more 'rational' in the sense that employers might be worried that older workers wouldn't be as productive or wouldn't be as profitable."The Center for Retirement Research has found no evidence that older workers are less productive overall. They did, however, find that they were more expensive because of higher earnings expectations and higher healthcare costs.Vaughn met his wife, Mary Susan, in high school, but they didn't connect romantically until their 15-year reunion. They hit it off and were married six weeks later.Over 31 years of marriage, they've raised four children (and now help with their three grandchildren) and took in all four of their parents, helping support them through retirement. The expenses added up, but Bob's job and Mary Susan's work as an artist and blogger kept them afloat.When Vaughn was laid off in 2022, his family sold their home near Charlotte, North Carolina and downsized to an apartment near their daughter and newborn granddaughter in Asheville.The plan was to eventually build a home on three acres of land they'd purchased in the Blue Ridge Mountains.But work has been hard to come by and so has money. "Little did we know that interest rates were gonna go through the roof, inflation, all that kind of stuff," he said. "And it made us hit the brakes."They're stuck in their apartment until the lease is up in August and are struggling to afford the rent. "We could not have anticipated how much rent and storage costs would be when we sold our home," said Mary Susan. "The monthly expenses are greater than the mortgage on our home was."They still plan on building the home, eventually. But they're going to try to do it themselves to save money.Adapting to an older workforceDiane Reiter is 72 and looking for work."Unfortunately my memory is not as good as it used to be, and therefore my options are limited," she said. "It's super frustrating because I know where I came from."Reiter spent the majority of her career running book fairs with her late husband around the Chicago area. When Amazon took a big bite out of their business in the early 2010s, she started working in accounts payable for local companies.Now she's struggling to find a job that works for her."I never thought I'd be in the position where I couldn't retire," she said. "This is just unfortunate."As more people than ever need to work longer to support themselves, workplaces will need to begin to adapt to older workers' needs, according to the World Economic Forum. Worker health and wellness will become more critical than ever, as will investing in retraining the workforce as technologies change. New models of hybrid work that smooth the transition to retirement will need to be created."Keeping older people in the labor force requires more than bringing the matter to the public's attention," wrote researchers at Brookings Institution in a recent report. There needs to be political and employer support for a "massive public education campaign to make the business case for older workers," they said.In the meantime, Reiter's children and grandchildren live nearby, so she has a good family support system. She's also discovered a passion for painting and has sold some of her work."It's a very fulfilling life," she said. "But I don't have a ton of savings left. It's pretty bittersweet. It's kind of scary, so I have to do something."

Hope Murray retired in 2013 after a 50-year career that ranged from game show producer to Hollywood party planner to casino executive.

She settled into a life of golf, game nights and pickleball in her San Diego community, her daughter living nearby.

Then things got more expensive. Gas was nearly $5 a gallon, medication costs were adding up, the grocery bill was increasing.

So she downsized, stopped driving as much and waited longer between haircuts.

But she could no longer afford some of her medications. "It got kind of scary. I needed some extra money coming in," said Murray.

So last October, at the age of 80, Murray ended her retirement and got a job giving out samples at Costco.

She likes observing the people some go grocery shopping in heels and a full face of makeup and others wear pajamas and slippers. Some people take one sample and others gobble three or four.

"It just comes into my checking account every other week, and I can pay for everything," she said of her $18-an-hour paycheck. "My plan was to put the checks into a savings account, but it didn't work out that way. I had to use it for cost of living."

At 81, she isn't sure if she'll be able to go back into retirement. "I don't know how long I'll be working. It just all depends," she said.

Murray isn't alone.

Americans over 75 are the fastest-growing age group in the workforce, more than quadrupling in size since 1964, according to the Pew Research Center. Forecasters expect that cohort of older, working Americans to double over the next decade.

There are a number of reasons why Americans are working later into life.

People are living longer and are more likely to be healthy into old age.

The nature of work has also changed. "More people are working at desk jobs that don't require much physical labor," said Gal Wettstein, a senior research economist at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "That contributes to people's ability to work longer."

Zoom, and the post-pandemic boom in remote work also makes it easier for older Americans to remain in the workforce, he said.

But while a 65-year-old is more likely to apply for a desk job or remote work than something that requires heavy lifting, said Monique Morrissey, a senior economist specializing in retirement security at the Economic Policy Institute, about 50% of older workers still have physically demanding jobs.

For many people, though, working into their golden years simply comes down to lacking enough money to stop working and keep a roof over their heads.

"It's a tale of two retirements," Morrissey said. While plenty of older Americans are working good jobs later into life by choice, others have struggled to find their place in the workforce.

Social Security payments still provide about 90% of income for more than a quarter of older adults, according to Social Security Agency surveys.

But without intervention, the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by the mid-2030s, meaning that only a portion of retirees' expected benefits will be paid out. Lawmakers have faced a decades-long political stalemate on how to fix it.

Over the years, retirement plans evolved away from pensions that encourage workers to retire by 65. About half of private sector workers were covered by those so-called defined-benefit plans in the mid-1980s, but by 2022 only 15% had them.

What's left is the 401(k), which 68% of private industry workers have access to, but only 50% use.

But sometimes even a pension isn't enough.

Heidi Brockway, 66, retired from a 30-year career in early education in 2019, right before the Covid pandemic. She had a small pension from the school district she worked for but soon realized it wouldn't be enough.

She spent the next two years applying for jobs and hitting wall after wall.

"I was applying to jobs that I was perfectly qualified for, if not overly qualified, and I would just get zapped time and time again," she said.

"I finally gave up in Los Angeles because it was just not happening," she said. She sold her house and moved with her husband to Southeast Florida, where her sister and nephew lived.

"I was thinking maybe there would be more opportunities there. And maybe the economy was a little bit more friendly to older people," she explained.

After 11 months of looking in Florida, Brockway was offered a job as an aide at a nearby preschool.

"I now sweep, clean toilets, mop and empty trash for $13.40 an hour and all the pride I can swallow. But I am employed at least," she said. "I was an early education teacher for 30 years. Now I clean a preschool. But I can afford groceries."

Unemployment in the U.S. is near historic lows, sitting at 3.8%, and employers are taking a closer look at people who used to be at the end of the hiring line, said Morrissey. But older workers are often left out of the employment boom.

Video below: Scammers put new twist on Social Security scam

"It's a particularly strong market for certain workers," she said. "That's people who are changing jobs, younger workers and non-college educated workers." Older workers tend not to change jobs, and they're more likely to have a college degree.

A lot of the jobs that older workers do get, she said, involve a salary cut or a lack of benefits.

It's illegal in the United States to discriminate against an older worker because of their age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) forbids age discrimination against people who are age 40 or older in the workplace.

But there's a high burden of proof, and it's even more difficult for an older job seeker to prove that they didn't get a role because of their age.

A recent survey by AARP found that about two-thirds of adults over the age of 50 think that older workers face discrimination in the workplace. Nearly 90% of those workers think ageism is commonplace.

Bob Vaughn turns 65 this June and has been looking for work since he was laid off from his role as an IT consultant at age 63.

"I started interviewing immediately," he said. Many interviewers praised his experience and seemed interested in offering him a job. But ultimately, he said each ended in an iteration of the same comment: We have decided to move in a different direction.

"I think the 800-pound gorilla is that I'm 64 and a half," he said. "And as colleagues of mine would say, age discrimination is rampant out there."

Researchers have done what they call "audit studies," in which they send the same resume to employers and only alter the applicant's age, said Wettstein, of the Center for Retirement Research. Older applicants got fewer callbacks.

"Some of it might be ageism, just an aversion to hiring older people," said Wettstein. "Some of it might be more 'rational' in the sense that employers might be worried that older workers wouldn't be as productive or wouldn't be as profitable."

The Center for Retirement Research has found no evidence that older workers are less productive overall. They did, however, find that they were more expensive because of higher earnings expectations and higher healthcare costs.

Vaughn met his wife, Mary Susan, in high school, but they didn't connect romantically until their 15-year reunion. They hit it off and were married six weeks later.

Over 31 years of marriage, they've raised four children (and now help with their three grandchildren) and took in all four of their parents, helping support them through retirement. The expenses added up, but Bob's job and Mary Susan's work as an artist and blogger kept them afloat.

When Vaughn was laid off in 2022, his family sold their home near Charlotte, North Carolina and downsized to an apartment near their daughter and newborn granddaughter in Asheville.

The plan was to eventually build a home on three acres of land they'd purchased in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

But work has been hard to come by and so has money. "Little did we know that interest rates were gonna go through the roof, inflation, all that kind of stuff," he said. "And it made us hit the brakes."

They're stuck in their apartment until the lease is up in August and are struggling to afford the rent. "We could not have anticipated how much rent and storage costs would be when we sold our home," said Mary Susan. "The monthly expenses are greater than the mortgage on our home was."

They still plan on building the home, eventually. But they're going to try to do it themselves to save money.

Diane Reiter is 72 and looking for work.

"Unfortunately my memory is not as good as it used to be, and therefore my options are limited," she said. "It's super frustrating because I know where I came from."

Reiter spent the majority of her career running book fairs with her late husband around the Chicago area. When Amazon took a big bite out of their business in the early 2010s, she started working in accounts payable for local companies.

Now she's struggling to find a job that works for her.

"I never thought I'd be in the position where I couldn't retire," she said. "This is just unfortunate."

As more people than ever need to work longer to support themselves, workplaces will need to begin to adapt to older workers' needs, according to the World Economic Forum. Worker health and wellness will become more critical than ever, as will investing in retraining the workforce as technologies change. New models of hybrid work that smooth the transition to retirement will need to be created.

"Keeping older people in the labor force requires more than bringing the matter to the public's attention," wrote researchers at Brookings Institution in a recent report. There needs to be political and employer support for a "massive public education campaign to make the business case for older workers," they said.

In the meantime, Reiter's children and grandchildren live nearby, so she has a good family support system. She's also discovered a passion for painting and has sold some of her work.

"It's a very fulfilling life," she said. "But I don't have a ton of savings left. It's pretty bittersweet. It's kind of scary, so I have to do something."

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More people are working well past retirement age. It's not easy - WBAL TV Baltimore