Working Patriotism

You vote every time there's an election (even the municipal ones), furnish your house with products that were made in the USA and know the names and birthdays of all of our presidents. Yet you may be about to do or have recently done something that some folks are calling unpatriotic–retire.

Andrew Yarrow, a financial researcher and professor at American University (how appropriate!),  believes that cashing in your chips early not only puts a burden on society at large, but on your family members who may have to support you in old age.
"The argument for working longer is not just about people working to pay more taxes. It's about people working to have more income and wealth themselves, to save for their own lives and their children and grandchildren," Yarrow is quoted as saying on MSN Money.

Yarrow points out that when the Social Security Act was signed in 1935, the average American lifespan was 63 and since most of us can expect to live well into our 80s, it doesn't make sense to retire at the same relatively young age. If you agree with Yarrow, this doesn't mean you have to give up your dream of having a more relaxed lifestyle once you have your empty nest. You can simply trade in your high-stress corporate job for something completely different. Go from preparing taxes to teaching yoga, for example.

Do you agree with Yarrow, or do you think you've earned your right to retire and enjoy your empty nest in peace?