Retirement in the Unites States today forms a normal part of the life cycle. Most people will spend some time in retirement. Atchley and Barusch (2003) describe retirement as a series of stages. This five-stage model takes a life-course perspective on retirement. It shows the interplay between a person’s past, his or her current life, and external events.

The population of older adults in the United States has grown more than ten times in size from 1900 to 2003, from 3.1 million to 36 million people. Projections show that this population will more than double from the year 2000 to 2050, increasing from 35 million to 86.7 million (Novak, 2009).

Using the South University Online Library or the Internet, research on retirement specifically in the context of United States. Based on your research and understanding, respond to the following:

• Explain the five stages of retirement. Which stage do you think is most important? Why?
• Describe the factors that a person has to consider when contemplating retirement.
• Describe different factors that can have an impact on retirement.
• Explore your own retirement plan. Describe where you are on the planning process. What is the stage of retirement that you current are at?
• Explain the factors that you would consider while planning your retirement.
• Describe how increasing numbers of retirees will affect retirement patterns.
• Compare retirement conditions in the United States to another country of your choice.
• Explain the techniques that other countries are planning for the new retirees’ influx.