The idea of retirement had always been simple. Work for a few years longer. Save more. Retire comfortably. For decades, this has been the quiet promise behind modern retirement planning. But that promise is starting to crack. New research suggests that working longer is no longer a reliable safety net. In fact, for many, it is a plan that never materialises.
Surveys and long-term data reveal a consistent pattern. People expect to retire later than they actually do. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, between 40 and 50 percent of retirees since the late 1990s have left work earlier than planned. That is not a small deviation. It is a structural gap.
