A global survey carried out on behalf of HSBC has found that most people believe that the traditional idea of retirement is outdated. Eighty per cent of those interviewed wanted to scrap mandatory retirement. In six of the ten countries included in the study - Brazil, Canada, mainland China and Hong Kong, France, India, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the US - alternating work and leisure was seen by the majority as the ideal lifestyle in later years. Only 17% felt that there should be a mandatory retirement age, with 80% saying that people should be able to work for as long as they wanted to and are able to. Canada was found to be the best prepared for retirement. Here, 24% of people interviewed equated later life with financial independence, while an average taken from the other countries in the study showed only 14% believed this.
Our view
World views do differ but for the UK it seems a little live for today and worry about tomorrow ...................... weeeeeeeeeeell ..............................tomorrow!