Bee Aware of “Honey Do” in Retirement Plans

As my wife approached retirement after over three decades as an educator, people would ask her how she’d be spending her time. Her go-to answer was, “At whatever I want to do.”
     Studies by Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute indicate a more accurate answer might have been, “At whatever Bruce and I want me to do.” The researchers found that a husband or wife has significant input. Those professionals who help employees plan for a satisfying retirement should include the spouse in the deliberations.
     Based on surveys of more than 4,000 older adults and the respective spouses, the researchers statistically distinguished three domains of retirement intentions, which they labeled bridge employment, self-developmental leisure, and social leisure. Retirement includes a weighted blend of these three. When a spouse was concerned about post-retirement finances, the employee was more likely to intend to engage in bridge employment. If the spouse had tasks in mind for their honey to do, there was a tendency toward self-developmental leisure. When the employee and spouse were maintaining a vibrant network of family and friends, social leisure was more often the choice.
     Other determinants also showed up in the research. Most people plan to continue into retirement the sorts of activities they’d engaged in while working. Those who predicted they’d live for a long time contemplated ways they’d be maintaining an income. But in all cases among married employees, the spouse’s preferences and intentions exerted substantial influence.
     This is consistent with other studies which verify couple influence in a range of consumer domains. For example, men in supportive marriages are more likely to have a recommended colonoscopy—that diagnostic procedure in which you consent to endure a long tube with a video camera and set of clippers run up your rear end.
     Researchers at University of Chicago and Brigham and Women's Hospital said that if the wife was happy with the relationship, the probability climbed further. And if the wife previously agreed to undergo a colonoscopy for herself, the husband was more likely to accept having one.
     But it didn’t work completely the other way around. Marriage happiness had no significant effect on the probability the wife would get a colonoscopy. This could be because women are wiser about preventive medical care than men regardless of how others around them are behaving. Husbands and wives may make consumer decisions together, but each partner may do it somewhat differently.

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