Why Retirement Is Not Always Happily Ever After

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Unhappy retiree
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Switching from full-time work to around-the-clock retirement can be difficult for some folks.

A recent survey uncovers a stark truth: One-third of retirees find they are no happier in retirement than they were while working, according to MassMutual’s Retirement Happiness Study.

About 25% of retirees say they are “neither more nor less happy” than when they were working.

In addition, 2% of those who have retired find they are “much less happy” and 6% are “somewhat less happy” than they were before they retired.

Among this group of unhappy retirees, nearly half — 47% — say retirement has made them lonely at times. By contrast, just 16% of retirees who say they are much happier in retirement report experiencing loneliness.

In addition, 33% of unhappy retirees say there is less romance and dating in retirement than they had expected. That sentiment is shared by 19% of the retirees who say they are much happier than while working.

Many of us spend decades dreaming of the day when we can finally give up work. But the survey of 2,000 adults is a reminder that a happy retirement takes some planning, as we reported in “6 Traits of People Who Are Much Happier After Retiring.”

Whether you plan to retire early or a bit later, it helps to understand what you might face when you stop working. For more, check out:

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