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Two-thirds of Canadians want to work after retirement
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CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Tue. Jan. 4 2011 8:13 PM ET
A firm majority of Canadians plans to work after the onset of formal retirement, mostly for economic or social reasons.
A new Harris-Decima survey conducted for Scotiabank polled more than 1,000 Canadians about their retirement plans and expectations.
Of the Canadians planning to retire, 69 per cent said they planned to keep working. Fifty-seven per cent of these respondents said they wanted to work to remain socially active by doing so, while 72 per cent said they wanted to remain mentally active.
However, the survey also found that 38 per cent of respondents think they will still be in the workforce because they won't be able to afford to stop working.
Canadians also reported a variety of plans for their retirement years:
- Travel is on the agenda for 86 per cent of those surveyed
- Spending time with friends and family is a goal for 72 per cent
- Reading is an expected pastime for 61 per cent, while 60 per cent want to exercise
- Taking up a hobby is on the horizon for 50 per cent of respondents
- Just under a quarter of respondents (24 per cent) want to go back to school
More than half of Canadians (56 per cent) believe they can fund their retirement dreams with less than $1 million in savings. Twenty-eight per cent said they will need between $1 million and $2 million. The remaining 16 per cent expect that they will need to have more than $2 million to in their bank accounts.
Seventy-eight per cent of the Canadians planning to retire are currently saving money and have been doing so for an average of 15 years. Just over half of these future retirees (55 per cent) have put away less than $20,000 over the previous five years.
While these Canadians expect that their retirement will come from the usual suspects -- RRSP contributions and savings, the government, pensions and inheritances -- a small number of tomorrow's retired persons plan to reap dividends from the lottery (5 per cent) and their offspring (4 per cent).
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I feel that if certain organs were in demand, less effort would be made to revive people. Am I being silly? Not really. I had a bad experience in hospital when my heart stopped, the doctors tried to revive me and failed. They stopped and said I was gone. I came around on my own when the nurse was giving a final BP reading of 'zero'. I heard her declare me dead! It was all I could do to shake my head but they never caught on til I was able to open my eyes. You should have seen them scramble then! I thought the nurse was going to faint. The thing is, I think we may write people off too soon when there is something of value to be gained from them.
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Tom (Ottawa)
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Gerald
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Caesar
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I'd like to know how many major corporations in Canada will allow their employees to work at that age? They will be forced into early via corporate restructuring. They don't want you past 50+ yrs. Certainly was my situation at a major bank.
Retiring outside Canada is a good option but remember you lose Medicare. That's Canada's golden handcuff. Politicians love it. Keeps all the seniors in Canada so they can be stripped of any money that was not previously taxed away.
Good luck to all
Haendler
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Uncle Pete
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Coco Lopez
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rikki
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rikki
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RGBrook
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Vic, Thornhill
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RH
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Working seniors add to the ecomony which in turn creates more jobs, not less. Would you rather have us retire so the government can increase imigration - then you can compete with desparate imigrunts for jobs and everyone looses!!
Dixie from Alberta
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Aaron
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Everyone has different aspirations as to what they want to do when they are older. Me? I have 0 plans to ever retire. Given my financial situation, I will likely be able to retire comfortably in my early 50's. I have 0 desire to do so and will work until I cannot physically do it any longer.
I want to remain a productive member of society of whom stays current throughout my entire life. I prefer mental challenge and thrive on it. Looking for things to do or performing hobbies that I haven't done yet is not my vision of how I prefer to live my life.
If you wanna play golf all day or become a master woodworker, then all the power to you. Not me, not ever.
Janet
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duart maclean
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Blake
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I don't know where this poll came out, but I'd like to know anyone who put away $4000, per year, over the last five years, as savings. I sure as hell didn't and I don't blow cash left, right and centre.
I swear CTV is getting it's polls from the division of Never-Neverland Inc. As for the idea that you're going to save at least a million or two for retirement?
Sure, sounds great for the RRSP salesman...and their scenarios look real good - though I'll bet none of them will offer up an average joe as a reference from the last two or three years - cause you know those people took a beating in the markets and they're not going to be on track for a million or two. Not even close.
Firinn
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Louis-Paul in Markham
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Prof. Pye Chartt
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B. Kelley, Ontario
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DGM
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Memo: can't take it with you
Mike in Ottawa
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Sergio, Notre Dame de Grace
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But you know that in days and perhaps years to come people will say "You know what I heard a while ago...". Ughhh!
Personally.....Freedom 35!!!
Bastin5
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To belittle those that will not retire in the conventional sense is bizarre given the demographic of our country that has a population bubble ready to pop when the Boomers do in fact retire or die. Be glad for people working longer into their lives, your standard of living depends on it.
To spend 10 - 30 years waiting on the Grim Reaper to call is not what I would call productive or engaging, nor is spending endless hours golfing, knitting or even baking in the Arizona sun. Being with like-minded, youthful (at any age) people and taking a little more vacation time is what I call a retirement.
I'm 14 years from 65 but while I could retire thanks to savings and RRSP and a clear title on my home, I will not retire completely, just retire from where I am now to something less stressful. Like the electrical helper at Home Depot. Now that may be fun...
Colleen in BC
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future retiree - hopefully!
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