PRERETIREMENT PLANNING AND PERCEPTIONS OF SATISFACTION AMONG RETIREES

This study investigates the impact of preretirement planning on life satisfaction during retirement. It addresses the question of which manner of preretirement planning is most effective in enhancing life during retirement. The sample consisted of 322 retired subjects who were affiliated with either a community church or an alumni chapter of a national fraternity or who retired from a large private corporation. The findings indicate that retirement preparatory programs are most useful if they are performed or provided in a timely manner and effectively address, among other topics, health and financial matters pertinent to retirees. Further findings indicate that there were significant differences in the life satisfaction expressed by retirees who planned on their own as compared with those who participated in structured company-sponsored preretirement planning programs and those who did not plan for retirement. Such findings suggest that gerontology educators, researchers, and professionals should continue to develop more effective retirement preparatory programs.