How the current generation of older Americans is transforming retirement

EVENT SUMMARY | LIVING WELL WORKSHOP
The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.

An expansive view of retirement

Tue, February 17, 2026, at 11am

Chris Farrell, author and commentator on economics, offered his online audience for UMRA’s February workshop expansive terms to describe retirement, including “encore,” “next chapter,” and “evolution.” As he did in his 2016 book Unretirement: How Baby Boomers are Changing the Way We Think about Work, Community, and the Good Life, he focused on the contemporary situation for those leaving lifelong work,

The demographic data is startling: By 2034 there will be more people 65-plus than under 18, and estimates are that half of those born since 2007 will live to 100. That large and aging population will have an impact not only on retirees themselves but also on business, institutional requirements, and families, Farrell said.

Work, he emphasized, plays a critical role in our lives well beyond the paycheck, providing connections with other people and a sense of purpose. Contemporary trends indicate that, as they are aging today, people often shift to other kinds of work or to active volunteering. These new experiences demonstrate that aging does not limit creativity, especially when they include listening and learning.

Many shared values

Despite news stories about generational conflict, Farrell noted, research shows that there are many shared values across diversity, ideas, and experiences when older workers are side-by-side with younger ones. “Age discrimination is real,” he said. “But compared to 20 to 30 years ago, it is less of a factor.”

At various points Farrell decried cultural commentary and dismissive actions that discount seniors. He recommended reading “Notes on Aging,” a bemused reflection by the late John Kenneth Galbraith writing in britannica.com on what he called the “Still Syndrome”. The older economist offered pithy retorts to those he encountered who inquired: “Are you still well?” “Are you still working?” “Still having a drink?” His response, Galbraith wrote, “is to call attention to the speaker’s departure from grace and decency: ‘I see that you are still rather immature.’”

Although volunteerism has slowed down recently, Farrell expected that to change. However, he also noted that nonprofits are not positioned to take advantage of volunteer knowledge, and it will require dialogue on both sides.

—Sally Gregory Kohlstedt, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair

Event recording

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Event slides

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LIVING WELL WORKSHOP

Tue, February 17, 2026, at 11am

Chris Farrell

Senior economics contributor

'Marketplace' and Minnesota Public Radio

Location
Via Zoom

If you are a fan of Minnesota Public Radio, then you have undoubtedly heard the critical commentary and thoughtful advice of senior economic news contributor Chris Farrell. Perhaps you have also read his books, or his occasional columns in the Minnesota Star Tribune or The New York Times on national and international financial issues.

Farrell has regularly observed that the current generation of older Americans has not followed the traditional retirement pattern of a relaxed lifestyle, with retirees spending their leisure time pursuing recreation and entertainment. In the case of UMRA members, that seems an apt observation.

The topic is directly relevant to all of us and will be the focus of UMRA’s Living Well Workshop at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, via Zoom.

In his book Unretirement, and elsewhere, Farrell argues that our generation of older Americans is actually transforming retirement. The rise of an information economy with higher levels of health and education are making an aging population more of an asset than ever before. Many retirees are working longer (for both purpose and a paycheck) as they look for ways to keep using their skills and knowledge. Farrell asks, somewhat rhetorically, how retirees can take advantage of the trend toward more vigorous aging to make the world a better place for themselves and for future generations.

Register online for this workshop through the UMRA member portal. Registrations will be accepted any time up to and including the day of the webinar. The Zoom link to join the webinar will be sent to you in both the confirmation email and a reminder email the day before the program.

Join this webinar at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 17, to learn more, and be ready to ask questions about what these new patterns of living mean for us, individually and collectively.

— Sally Gregory Kohlstedt, UMRA president-elect and Program Committee chair

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An expansive view of retirement

Many shared values