Retirement is sold as a finish line—more travel, less stress, and finally, time for you. But for many Baby Boomers, the first year feels less like freedom and more like whiplash. Budgets get stretched by inflation, benefits don’t cover what they expected, and the day-to-day lacks the identity work once provided. Some even discover they left too soon—financially and emotionally. If you’ve felt a pang of “Did I retire at the wrong time?” you’re not alone.
