Dashing a nationwide survey on retirement is being conducted. The idea here is to shed more light on what we think about retirement. And what life is actually like for people who retired final results of that survey won't be released until next month, but the early results indicate there are some pretty wide disparities between our expectations and reality working people apparently think retirement will give them a chance to make a fresh start most retirees. However, say their lives are about the same as before or perhaps even worse. That's all we're going to discuss your expectations and your experiences if you haven't retired yet. What do you expect chance to do new and exciting things and if you are retired would especially like to hear from you. What is it? Like was it what you expected it would be as it turned out as as well, as you had hoped we invite you to give us a call or Twin City area number is two two seven.1002 to 76,000 if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities, you can reach us toll-free at 1 800-242-2828 talking this hour about retirement what your expectations are and for those of you who've actually retired just how your expectations turned out to match reality. Meanwhile, we've been joined this hour by larae Kanata Road who is with the project 20-30 that's part of the Aging initiative at the Minnesota State Department of Human Services where she's been studying this issue for some long while good morning. Good morning. Glad you could be with us. Thank you. The people who are doing a survey the Princeton survey research Associates say that they're one of the things they found is that working people have very different expectations. Then you might think given the experience of today's rate retirees. The oppression of the survey organization says it nearly half 48% of Americans who are still working. So they see retirement is a chance for a new beginning people between the ages of 35 and 49 being the most likely to hold this view only a third though of current retirees report their non-working years haven't earned Heaven turn. In fact turned out to be a fresh start more than 39% Say that Tireman has just been a continuation of life as it was 20% say it's actually been a step-down spokesman for the American Association of retired person says the survey suggests people have gotten too optimistic that the only a small minority actually have enough money to pursue their dreams. Do these early survey results square with what you heard and found over the years. Well, I think there are a couple of things going on. I think that some of the survey research that we've done in the project 2030 are very similar to what you described in the National survey. We ask Baby Boomers about what they look forward to in retirement and about 3/4 of those that we surveyed said that they felt they would be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle during retirement and continue to do a lot of the things that they were doing now. So in the census of this being a continuation of life is as it is now They see that they're going to have enough money and the health to continue what they're doing now, except they've probably would not be working, you know, as fast as they have been at the same time. When you look at the surveys we've done of older people and we did one at the department in 1995. How old are people are satisfied with life? They're enjoying their retirement and you know feeling that it's it's Matt has their their expectations. So the continuation of of life as it has been is is one of the team's I think in what we've seen that sparked the disconnect comes in when you look at but baby boomers are actually doing in order to support a continuation of their lifestyle and that's where there is an issue because many of them are not doing the planning and putting away the money and and doing some of the life planning that you should be doing in order to make sure that their dreams become real The way that says story is written up the earlier survey results seem to indicate that a continuation of life is is how much that you have in a way you're suggesting that most people don't see it that way. What about this business of a fresh start? Apparently, that's the focus of this National survey or a lot of people concerned about that. They're going to start a whole new business or something way. I would say maybe a third of them were so I don't have this specific figures in front of me, but they were going to move to another state they were going to move to a new house. Perhaps go to Arizona or North Carolina or something. And so they were seeing it as a fresh start when they moved and got into a different kind of retirement lifestyle, but the other people were expecting to stay in the same. House, in fact a very high proportion of them expected and wanted to be able to remain in their community in the same house if they were living in now and you'll continue being involved with their family and their friends and and in some of the community life that they're already involved in. But once again as you pointed out a lot of the Baby Boomers aren't putting away enough money to even be able to continue the existing lifestyle nevertheless. I never mind some Grande new experiment that you have to look at denial and disconnect within the Boomers because the younger boomers are still denying that they are going to be retiring and growing old because they haven't seen this yet in their lives. I mean, they're their parents or maybe not going through that yet. Whereas the older boomers are beginning to to realize that this is going to happen to them their parents are Perhaps have died and they are now the oldest generation and this will happen to them as well. So they're no longer able to deny it quite as much but there's also that the other day which is the disconnect. I know I should be saving if I want this kind of Lifestyle. I know I should be making some changes but I can't because life requires me to put bread on the table and to get my kids through school and I just simply can't focus on something else right now because of the other Essentials of Life take all of my time and energy and my money we're talking this hour about retirement what we expect the retirement years will be like versus what they actually are for people part of an ongoing survey that's being conducted the in conjunction with this big discussion. America is supposed to have this year about the fate of the Social Security System. First forum is being held tomorrow joining us on the Phone is Luray Kanata Road who is with project 20-30. She is with the State Department of Human Services. We also hope to hear from you this hour those of you who aren't you out of retirement age. What do you expect in the way of retirement if it is going to be better for you chance to start a new career, perhaps a new some new Endeavors. Are you hoping just to maintain your current lifestyle? Are you concerned that you're going to have to scrape by on stantial E less interested to hear from you in a course. Those of you who are already retired. Love to hear from you as well as it turned out as you expected. It would give us a call Twin City area number is 227-6002 276 thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities, you can reach us toll-free. That number is 1 800 to +422-828-227-6004. 1 800-242-2828. App. Where do you fall here? Are you retired still working? What's your situation? I have been working for 47 years. I am widowed. I do have enough finances presently to support myself. I don't really look for any problems in that way. But since I've been retired, I've been spending more time with my family. I've enjoyed my grandchildren I go to a lot of the sports events and we go to some theater together. Although I am looking for some type of work. I'm not really sure what yet. I do have a lot of opportunities to go to work for jobs that are not very interesting. I wasn't a job where I had a lot of change did a lot of different things so I'm not really sure. Exactly how things are going to turn out to be honest with you so far. I have not had any serious problems. Like I say I am not married and widowed and that is a little bit of a problem. There's a little more loneliness involved with that in terms of your work. Are you looking for work to just keep busy or keep yourself stimulated or because you needed need the money, you know, you're finished with all your housework and you have finished with your bills and all the things that you normally have done all your life. But I do like to be with people like to visit with people. I like the friendliness. I'm just Just enjoy myself. And now that's one thing I do miss right now. Although like I say I have not really had any serious problems. I've been able to feel my time. I do have other friends that we go out to dinner. I will I belong to where I used to work. We belong to the retired people suck Community which goes out once a month and we do different things. So my time is being filled but there's still something lacking. I don't know. I can't really put my finger on it. I've only been retired a short. Of time but I am looking at I'm still looking so that's about where I'm at. I guess I guess there's other one other thing too. As I did look to travel a little more. I have made a couple of short trips, but they only last for a certain. Of time and now you're looking to get back home, so I don't know how much I'm contributing but this is about where I'm at right now, and I appreciate the comments. Chicken for you has it turned out so far recognizing that you're just kind of getting into the retirement lifestyle. If you will as it turned out about the way you expected. It was like when you were 35 years old, is this what you expected? I guess I would have to say I I really wasn't sure I Look to travel I Look to do a lot of things with my wife as I said, I'm widowed and I certainly miss her a lot. I know I'll never find anyone to take her place but in some instances it is better if it's actually more than I expected. First of all for the financial part. I if I do have enough income to support myself, I believe in too many years to come and I guess the second thing is I'm spending more time with the family as I have, you know, I mentioned before but I hid it in one sense. It's more in another sense. It's a little bit less but I would say if I'd have to put a number on it. I guess I would want to 10 I guess it was I have to say it's about an eighth and I'm not totally for Phil. That's where I'm at. Thank you, sir. Appreciate the call. Thank you. Pretty typical larae I would say so and what's interesting. Is that what he's talking about in terms of that something missing aside from his widowhood which is you know, a difficult this thing about work in people's lives is a trend that were seeing other people retire from their career job. So to speak and then they do look for what's called a bridge job quote on quote where they can kind of transition into retirement. They might need a little money but most important for many people is the social interaction because today we have so many of our friends and our social contacts at in the workplace that people really miss that as they Tired and so there's a train now towards bridge jobs in transition jobs that are part-time and flexible provide some income. But I also very importantly provide as social contact for today. Do you think the proposals to raise the retirement age would address that issue in some way or are we talking about two different things here? It looks like the retirement age has been rising. I mean just without the changes in Social Security since about 1985. We hit the bottom of the the typical age of retirement and it's been increasing since then so that's happening for in a variety of reasons and raising the in the age limit maybe another incentive for people to continue to work. So they get their full Social Security benefits, but they know the idea of another job that is more flexible a little bit more part-time so that they don't have some of the the downsides of work, which is every day 8 to 5. That kind of thing you're coming, please. Oops, we got to get you on the air here time. Did we lose you. We lost let's move on to Rennie you're coming. Please forward to retirement my husband and I have maybe three and a half to four years. We think a lot about it and are planning a lot about it. And in anticipation, I we hope we are going to be financially not well off, but at least be able to do what we want to do. I think the biggest thing that we look forward to is time it seems now, there are so many times. There are things we want to do is things we'd like to do but the work demands you come home and you're just so exhausted both physically and mentally we both are in positions. Where are jobs, maybe have a lot of responsibility requirements and they just to be able to weather it be something as simple as going for a walk or Traveling to be able to do it without feeling the pressure that you were keeping up a house and and just all the requirements health insurance. Of course is something a big thing. We're planning to retire at 62. So we have a lot of plans about where we're going to be living what we're going to be doing. We already plan to be involved in some volunteer type things, but it beat your church through Community organizations, but I think time is the main thing that's why we are saying 62 seems we know so many people who wait till they're 65 and then for health reasons or whatever, they can't enjoy it and do all the things they had planned on either. So we're going to do it early enough that we can even if it means cutting back and not having as much money to do the things to be able to do just be able to enjoy life and smell the roses along the way whatever you want to say is going to be worth it. Even if you don't have it. Funny things are as much money, but just add to not have that big commitment. So we're hoping keeping her fingers crossed that if the next three and a half years always they have been will be where we want to go. But I definitely looking forward to it very eagerly so much on the financial aspects of it, but he brings up at the point of health and I would think that that would play of huge it would be a huge factor in determining how rewarding the retirement years are for people. That's very true. In fact in the focus groups than in the surveys. We did have Boomers bait. There were a lot of underlying fears about what was going to happen in the quality of their lives because of the health issue and particularly among the older Boomers cuz they've seen more of that happened. So, you know the old saying when you got your health you got just about everything is is pretty true in a lot of people's About retirement how important these days is the basic Social Security annuity to people who retired is the way he keep hearing about the plans to privatize and and so on so forth, but you know for the average person I would think that's so security benefit would really be still be that the Bedrock of any kind of financial situation but planning for people. Absolutely, I would refer back to a survey that we did a couple years ago of older people in Minnesota and we asked him about social security and a 77% said that Social Security is vital to Financial Security of older people and only 18% thought that it was a nice cushion. So many older people are almost completely dependent on Social Security that it is considered of an absolutely essential part of of their income in in their retirement as they plan for old age. When you asked Boomers in the focus groups that we had done. They were more cynical about whether Social Security was going to inspect the available to them and that they didn't see it as being a main source of income and that they were more on their own because it wouldn't be as big of a play as big a role in there. Income in the future as it did perhaps in their parents or grandparents. Although they weren't always saving as a result of that. They saw that it wasn't going to be as large as it has been pant. What what are your experiences? found the Elder and they're about three hundred and forty people over 55 that the just love to learn where are led by summer retired University Professor summer still teaching their small group both in the in the lecture and kind and the discussion types and it's it's also part of elderhostel which of course has the travel for people over 55 better than they can all over the world and that different levels of ability to keep up with things. Sounds like you're right. You're having a very nice retirement. Do you worry at all at your house going to give out on you? Well, I figured that I got a few more good years in that I want to get as much done in the meantime. Thanks for your call move on to another callers. We talked about retirement the sometimes what what appears to be the gap between what people expect their retirement to be like and what it turns out to be there's a new survey out which indicates a fairly wide disparity between younger people and actual retirees course tomorrow. The first in a series of Nationwide forums is being held President Clinton will be participating discussion what he says he hopes will be a nationwide discussion on Social Security and where it's going to fit into the nation's future done. You're retired. Are you retarded? 860 It is in some respects. It's not exactly what I expected. But it but it's certainly been a very pleasant retirement tell me about the difference between what you expected and what happened was single when I retired and I got married shortly thereafter, but I would just origin unfortunately the pay for it would probably should be listening aren't working and I aren't going to be listening but you just got a plan for that retirement. Then you got to start planning when you're young and it's a matter of getting into those 401K from the IRA programs just as quickly and as is as hard as you can cuz that that should end up being a major source of your income. Particularly, if you're with her some company that doesn't have a a good Pension Plan fortunately work for for a company that provided a nice pension plan and and I did plan for through the 401 k s and the IRA is too so that when I did retire I wasn't going to be wondering where the next daughter was coming from. That's a big issue as far as you can tell it is because if you're if you're retired, there's two things you want to have you want to have enough fun. So you can do what you want to do and you want to have the help that so you're able to do those things. And then with either one of them missing you got a big problem when you retire. Okay. Well, thanks for call Don. Good luck. How do you say what did you get any sensor in your from what you heard from Boomers that in fact they are going to start putting away more money or do they just realized they shouldn't still aren't ready to act on it yet. There's a lot of diversity. I mean as I think I mentioned before there is some denial and some disconnect but the older Boomers who have seen their parents going through aging and then perhaps a dying they begin to realize that this is important for soften. That means that they're already 35 or 40 and so they can't start early as this gentleman says is so important but they start they start understanding and they're also in a little better position because their kids have finished it going through school perhaps and they have a little bit more money that they can set aside the younger Boomers I'd it takes them You're not as into the reality of a meeting to start early and you know, I need the education and some kind of a reality check which makes them understand the need to start early rather than waiting until later Luray come out a route as well as she is with project 20-30 that's part of the Aging initiative at the Minnesota State Department of Human Services. We also invite you to join our conversation this hour, we're talking about retirement what it's really like versus what people expected to be like parently some surveys have found a pretty wide Gap in expectations versus reality and that's survey which all of the results of which are going to be released next month being conducted in conjunction with Nationwide dialogue present Clinton says, we need to engage in this year on the social security system and retirement in general. Love to hear from you those of you who haven't retired. What you're expecting those of you who have retired what it's like and whether the reality is what you expected. It would be 2 to 76,000 is are Twin City area number to 276 thousand. If you're calling from outside the Twin Cities, you can reach us toll-free. That number is 1 800 to +422-828-227-6000 or one 800-242-2828. And oh it's more colors in just a moment on the next All Things Considered being a professional recipe tester requires an iron stomach and diplomacy. You can't say well, I don't like that. You know, I've been in situations in China where I had to eat french fried scorpions and bamboo rat and things in my theory has been since I started this job is to eat first and ask questions later. We'll talk with Eleanor Austin on the next All Things Considered weekdays at 3 on Minnesota Public Radio k n o w FM 91.1 in the Twin Cities. Is in the Twin Cities yesterday to talk about the race-based preferences affirmative action. He's the fellow who was a key member of the University of California Board of Regents. Led the effort to eliminate race is a factor in admissions to the University of California system. He then went on to help lead the effort in California to eliminate racial preferences in state hiring practices in the rest and he's not traveling the country talking about affirmative action. You can hear from Ward connerly over the noon hour today here on a good day program NPR's Main Street radio coverage of world issues is supported by the blandin foundation committed to strengthening rural communities and Environmental Education through the school nature project weather forecast calls for partly cloudy Sky across most of Minnesota through the day with eyes low 30s in the northwest of the mid-40s in the South tomorrow or cloudy to partly cloudy. The most part with eyes thirties and forties and there's a chance for some light snow on Sunday the Twin Cities or really couldn't be a nicer day in the Twin City area Sunny with a high temperature today 4245 partly cloudy tonight with a low in a low twenties are they caught in tomorrow at the high in the mid forties and then light snow is likely by Sunday currently around the area. St. Cloud sunny skies 36° Rochester sunny in 29 Duluth cloudy in 31 Houghton with a fair Sky 33 Fargo cloudy and 33 Sioux Falls, Sunday and 31 Twin City temperature is 36 and skies are Sunny. We're talkin to sour about retirement the expectation versus the reality. And if you'd like to join our conversation, give us a call 227-6000 or one 800-242-2828 joining our conversation is Luray Kanata Road, who is with project 20-30 part of an aging initiative at the state department. Of Human Services. I should ask her a letter A A lot of people from our area when they retire had South any have you been able to determine any differences between the people who leave and who stay is it just a function of money or the other other factors at work? Well, that's an interesting question of. Add an event that I know of is from a 1989 survey that was done of older people. So it's a little old but at that time the people that we call snowbirds quote on quote those that it go to some of the southern states tended to be more middle-income and they tended to be for more of the real parts of Minnesota Ave n then the higher income or from the metro area, which is kind of interesting. And what seems to happen to is that very often people are in those Southern States for their early part of the retirement, but when there is a loss of spouse for example, because of death or because of Health changes for those two reasons those snowbirds 10 to fly back to Minnesota and you know spend the remainder of their lives here because of wanting to be closer to perhaps family or in there a same communities with Have other connections and then because a Healthcare in Minnesota is very good to Chris. So you're coming of age perspective because my grandmother is still living at my dad is retired and I'm looking forward to retirement and the travel and the elderhostel type experiences. But I also have two children who are going to be providing that social security for myself and probably my dad still and as others have said before health is everything. My grandmother is no longer in good health. She's quite elderly and Social Security makes up the bulk of her income, but pays only her rent. So the proceeds from the sale of her home go to pay for her health insurance any medication needs that she has and Meals on Wheels those types of things that are Fortunately able to keep her on her own yet. So I see money as being in since I handle her finances. I know that money is tight and I really want worried about her having enough to get through to the end of life. My dad on the other hand has had a private pension has his Social Security and doesn't have much in the way of expenses because home is paid off and therefore he's doing very well. He's one of those snowbirds and he's able to to leave for the winter and do some traveling and really enjoy himself. But I worry about my children. We're going to be paying for these things. I hope they'll have good jobs. But the the funds now that we see people they life expectancy in the Aging. Well beyond what Social Security was planned to provide for? I think it's really going to hurt them. And when those numbers of workers were providing for the ever larger number of retirees is going to be a very stiff Financial strain on them. I know we have difficulty we have one in college now, we'll have one going back to next year and we really scrambling to get buy right now. So I'm looking forward to retirement. The frankly is a little better off financially than what we have now. We're fortunate to be able to put into some forcing ourselves to pay into some pension plans. That issue of the demographics and social security has got to be Troublesome both especially for younger people. I would think larae we heard in the focus groups and we hear through a series of community forms that the Minnesota Board on Aging is is holding related to 2030. Is it lots of young people are very cynical about whether Social Security will be there. In fact, there's been some national study that says that there are more younger people that believe in UFOs and then they do in Social Security. So there's a lot of cynicism about whether it's actually going to be there and worry that it's it's going to be a burden for them to pay in on the on the tax side. So yes, it's a it's a concern among the kiboomers here any comments to the effect that that's it's real difficult to get motivated to save because we don't have any idea how long we're going to live we can't possibly Save enough to support us in high style. If we live to be 90 or a hundred years old and apparently more and more people are living that long that's another of the of the disconnects or one of the issues. You're you're right because if you look at you know, you're going to need a million dollars or some of these estimates you just figure well, how can I possibly ever do that? Particularly people who are in minimum wage and who have very little ability to save as it is and so they are simply overwhelmed by the the implications of retirement planning and that keeps them from taking any action of although the messages that even a small amount done on a regular basis can add up to, you know, helping you and retirement right John. Are you retired retired last July after about 20 years in a fairly typical activity? barely tactical activity and my plans were to take two or three months off and recharge the batteries and I get things arranged and then get into some Consulting work, general area that I have been working in for so many years and I discovered that the organization is there really aren't interested in in another person's experience, even if it is technically so it's been kind of a disappointment to me that point but in any event, I have a lot of extra time on my hands and so on and so forth and I've discovered what somebody else earlier said is you got to start planning and I think he got to start planning when you're about 30 not to pry into your Affairs here John, but I'm just wondering On terms of the you said that if you'd if you'd know now or known then what you know, now you probably would have kept working. Is that for financial reasons or or for mental stimulation? What is what I'm retired on as far as money goes to hit the combination of Social Security and and pension and so I'm not hurting it as far as the cat was not first. I'm not going on bank and stuff like that on the back and it's no problem, but you're bored. Appreciate the call. Let's move on to another caller Eileen are you retired could have lied to me. Difference that I left the convent at age 55 because of the research. I was doing because of the interest of universities in my ideas and the sense of kinds of Lincoln support the more education or anything else of that type. I decided to go out and do it on my own this then entering Workforce at age 55. I went to all kinds of employment age. Because the other agencies couldn't take a woman that old and find a place that had any kind of any kind of transfer excitement. I kept on doing my research. I save $50 every month to put into it. I went to different schools and interview the whole lot of people found out more and continued my research then I had two years of seminar and what I came out at the end with les that older people do not realize what the government is doing. They don't take an interest and that I do psychological and philosophical research and I wanted them to read the papers of the founding fathers. No one was interested in reading that kind of stuff. Then the next thing we did was that bring truth to notice the book government records Washington waste from A to Z and in their disputed exactly what the social security system was meant for pension plan or an insurance policy, but the result was that they simply decided what to do on their own and they spent the money so they have no use to the point of 345 billions, which would be enough to support the sea and I hope that someone will will support President Clinton when he says he wants to pay that back. That's what he meant. When he said the money should be put into the Social Security Medicare Because they are so many people don't know that and I wish there was a referendum for the American people and what they think should be done because the money is old maybe he'll forgive the debt. Thanks. I appreciate it. You think that many people understand how the social security system works what the actual circumstances are in terms of finances and benefits and whether any money is going to be there when they retire in the rest. Probably not. I I know there are a lot of experts in aging who don't understand all the complexities because the social security system is both a social insurance program and a pension system that pays back, you know, based upon your your income and I think that the work that's going to be done on Social Security is probably going to continue on with those same two principles, but trying and make some incremental changes that would take place later after the year 2000 so that it will be solvent when the large Baby Boom generation starts retiring go back to something that our previous call John I believe was his name and he said that there's just not much demand for for his skills. People don't want to take on an older worker that pretty common. You know, that's it going to be a bigger and bigger issue in our society. Because people are going to either want to work as I said before or or need to work. And right now the age of the labor force is much older and getting and will be getting a lot older as the baby boom goes through their work and into retirement. We're doing a survey right now of employers to find out just some of the things that are going on there at the one time that Older Workers are seen as more reliable and having very good work habits. They're also seen as as not being as flexible and maybe adaptable to new technology but I think because we have such a severe labor shortage in Minnesota, where have we have a big problem in this area, the only potential that that some of the employers have is to look at retirees and some of the other pools that have not yet been tapped for for the labor force. So I think we may beginning to see even more change and it may not be as hard to find a job because Who wants to work is going to be needed to fill the jobs that we have now, and I would do you suppose that employers overtime would become more flexible about this is well realizing that a lot of people as they get older really don't want to work full-time, but would just as soon stay on with her with it with the company. They work for going to part-time and a little more flexible arrangement. I would think a lot a lot of experts have been saying for a long time that we do need to go to more flexibility people coming in and out of different jobs and and going on sabbatical. They're getting retrained. I think the training issues are enormous in this area, you know several different careers. I think that that just the necessities of the market are going to really demand that we move in that direction Scott you're coming, please Do not have any confidence that I will reap any of the Social Security benefits whatsoever. And so I am making plans accordingly. I've got a mutual fund and I'm depending on my pension as well. I'm here in your phone. But quick question. Do you expect to live pretty well in retirement or scrape by going in place? Good morning. Are you retired? I am retired and have been for three years Grill and fourth-year feel like I made no plans whatsoever and I was an educator still have teachers retirement and then I Social Security but the health things main thing and I workout I re-dye right? I do some teaching through Elderhostel I ski I golf. I can't I travel somewhat Elder learning is very important to me. I'm studying Spanish Swedish and Finnish. I mean there are many many things to do out there that don't cost all that much but it's finding, you know, the venues of these things who are the people to get in touch with where do you get the information there really isn't a good senior publication out there that the pulse together what's available in an area such as the twin cities in Minnesota General. So you have to kind of get out there and then look for it but start Social Security is concerned exactly but it has become one and so good. You know, I'm not one of these people say I should go back to what it was meant to be. Let's broaden. Let's And it and I think we have the resources in this country in the imagination to work these things through so far as the boomers are concerned. I would like to reassure them that it will be there and it will be even better than it is. Now if you have the political will to make that come to be so I can't find my final State iPhone become aware of them. It's according to what I've been raised what has been inculcated in me and I find it a joy to be able to sit down now on a name with those men star and then to write my understanding of them as it exists not with me, so I just get out there and get going. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Let's get one more call around here in Eugene your comment place. Yours every time is 51 1/2 + 55 now and the main thing is like that guy that was 30 years old to start planning for it when you're younger and invest and and also have activities ready for when you retire some of the guys that worked with didn't retire at the time I did because they said they had nothing to do and I find lots and lots of things to do. I bought a portable sawmills around the country song Lumber and go hunting and fishing and do some traveling and you just got to plan activities for when you retire you can't just sit there and waste away. He's also got a plan financially so money and and the activities some of these people say they can't be there because they don't know what to do when they retire if they don't know what they're going to do on her 51, like I was going to know what to do when your 62 So you have to plan both of them financially and activities to do people really need to spend more time thinking about things. They actually enjoy doing and are good at doing rather than just worrying about their money. Oh absolutely important but having a plan and having things to to make life meaningful, that's what we've heard from a lot of the retirees and whether that's contributing to family or Community or the volunteering or the the learning. I mean this we have tremendous opportunities as this gentleman pointed out. In fact, it's hard to even figure out which of of many that you want to get involved in. So that's a real crucial thing that we here all the time. You think anything's a practical and useful is going to come out of our Dialogue on Social Security at the present is talking about her just so Just another exercise and in discussion. I think it's important to have the dialogue. I think people have very strong feelings about retire Social Security One Way or Another, you know that whether it's it's income transfer weather is retirement income whether it's part of it is is for people who are widowed and orphaned and Social Security also does that for I think it's three and a half million kids around the country. So the dialogue will hopefully help people understand the program a bit more and get involved in the as another caller said that get involved in having the will to make sure that this is strengthened and maintained so that it will be a Mainstay into the future because all the indications are that were just going to continue to have our retirees that are that are dependent and Very dependent on Social Security because it will be necessary for their retirement income even though they might have saved or they might have a pension plan. We're still going to have lots that have that is their main source of income so much for joining us is our you're welcome who is with project 20-30 part of the Aging initiative at the Minnesota State Department of Human Services. Again, the official Forums on Social Security begin tomorrow Minneapolis is one of the sites of one of 10 sites around the country be hooked up in a video conference with the president. I'm Ray Suarez, whether it's manufacturing hole machines to fit on a chip or unraveling the mysteries of water physicists across the country of working on the technological innovations of tomorrow, and trying to understand the basic properties of the physical world join Ira Flatow for Science Friday to hear about the latest physics news on the next Talk of the Nation from NPR news. Talk of the Nation begins at 1 each weekday here on Minnesota Public Radio a reminder that over the noon hour today just a couple of minutes. We're going to hear from Ward connerly missed conerly is a member of the University of California Board of Regents. He has become nationally known for his efforts to stop of racial preferences in this country Ward connerly coming up over. The noon hour. Here is Garrison Keillor.