6 Reasons to Work Past Retirement Age

Working into the second half of your sixties (or even longer) can mean a happier, more financially secure retirement when you finally leave your job. Here are six good reasons for working at least a few more years: 1. employee benefits, 2. a bigger pension, 3. you like working, 4. a fatter nest egg, 5. a higher Social Security benefit, and 6. coordinating with your spouse. Most husbands and wives hope to retire within a year or two of each other, says Richard Johnson, director of the program on retirement policy at the Urban Institute. When you retire, you have more leisure. Most people want to spend that leisure with their partner, Johnson says. If your spouse is much younger or simply not ready to retire, working several more years yourself is a simple solution to the home-alone syndrome.