I recently read this book written by a professor of economics that is intended primarily for people on the traditional path to retirement, not Mustachians. She gives some practical advice and ends with several policy suggestions intended to address the looming retirement crisis in the U.S. She makes one point in this book that I haven't heard made elsewhere. Many people assume they can continue working at their jobs as long as they need to to build up their retirement funds, but the choice may not be up to them. Illness or downsizing may lead a person to lose his or her job much sooner than expected. It is also unlikely that someone nearing traditional retirement age will be able to find another job in his or her specialty. As such, she predicts a flood of unprepared older workers into the job market for entry level jobs.
I think among our community there is a general presumption that if you retire early and miscalculate what you need, you can always return to the job market. But I'm wondering if this realization comes ten or fifteen years after you have "retired" it really is that easy to get another job, particularly when you have to explain a big gap in your work history.
