Do Worker Expectations of Never Retiring Indicate a Preference or an Inability to Plan?

In 2013, 18% of full-time workers aged 35 to 60 who were household heads expected to never retire. We found that factors related to the likelihood of expecting to never retire were more related to a failure to plan rather than a preference for working indefinitely. Most workers stating that they would never retire probably would have expected retirement ages under 67, if they had planned for retirement. Evaluations of retirement adequacy of workers should carefully consider the meaning of a response of “never retire.” Financial advisors working with clients who state that they never expect to retire should carefully assess whether that expectation is a preference or a reflection of the client's failure to prepare for retirement