Rising stock markets or ageism in hiring? 
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Last month’s Kiplingers put several situations through three or four AIs.
All gave different guidance - none of it unsound but they say not any of it totally optimal.
So use AI at your peril. It may not give you an optimal response.
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Nice problem to have. When you go out on your own terms, that’s a good thing. I know many who don’t - and I worry about this daily. Layoffs in my industry are cyclical and I’m now at the target age - even though I still contribute greatly.
These folks leaving given the high stock accounts - good for them. There are many companies out there - from NVidia to Space X and more than have minted millionaires.
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I am always leery of AI, though sometimes it asks questions and gives me perspectives that I haven’t considered.
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Ageism in hiring would be a factor I believe should be explored before stating “we think” it’s because boomers are stock-rich. I’d be interested in statistics backing up the claims. What percentage of those who left the workforce early have specifically stated that they did so because their stocks surged? How much in savings do these people who left the workforce early actually have? Do they also have pensions?
The labor force participation rate among workers 55 and older, which never recovered after the pandemic shock, has dropped further since then. In February 2020, right before the pandemic was officially declared, the US labor force participation rate for workers ages 55 and older was 40.3%. In July 2026, it had dropped to 36.9%.
“There’s been this puzzle in the labor data,” Bhave said. “If you look broadly across the US economy, most indicators recovered really nicely after the pandemic — a lot faster than what we were expecting. One of the laggards was labor force participation amongst older workers. Over the last several months, it’s taken another leg down.”
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Fair question - they say “We think this is related to the more than 35% increase in the S&P 500 over the last two years," Aditya Bhave, a US economist at Bank of America Securities, told Yahoo Finance. “
We think isn’t proof but they’ve likely looked at a lot of data to draw the conclusion - things like market peaks and troughs and # of people leaving the workforce but you are right, they don’t share anything conclusive.
If you got laid off during the pandemic and were over a particular age the odds are you didn’t get back into the work force. Nothing to do with your assets growing. Jobs were difficult enough to land during those years, let alone higher level jobs for people with years of experience, and factor in some age discrimination.
I know a few people who got laid off between age 60 and 64 and just called it quits and retired.
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I had planned to retire at 66.5 years but left earlier. Nothing to do with our stocks/investments and everything to do with continuing to be underpaid and not promoted due to my age.
A sample of one. but I’m sure there are many others.
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But this study is not addressing during the pandemic. It’s addressing people leaving the workforce now - as it is happening at a high level today and stock prices are high.
They showed a conclusion but not proof (that I saw) but for those not addicted to work and who would want a long retirement, the market has given them a present with its significant gains.
So I don’t see it as pandemic related at all.
What you’re saying may not be wrong but it’s not related to the time frame of those leaving the job market that they are discussing. Entirely different crowd.
Add me. I quit, with every intention of getting a new job after a short respite. I started looking, with no luck. Covid happened. I realized I could retire financially - not with as much as I would have liked, but it was possible. I had a choice of working a low paying job or living off my savings. I chose the latter. I am very fortunate compared to most, because I can do it. But I didn’t do it because of the stock market. It could all go south at any time, so I’m taking a leap of faith.
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instead of AI, you would likely get much better insights by posting your questions adn details on Bogleheads.
In the meantime, take a look at what happens at 75 which creates the supposed tax bomb and how you can start to mitigate today.
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How “descriptive” can you get on Bogleheads. I’ll go read - but do people put it “all” out there?
well, its like anything. The more details you provide, the better the responses.
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Our ‘plan’ was for DH to retire when we both were 65, which I turned 65 four months after him. But his boss was a jerk (I had worked for this same guy at the company, but he was not in ‘over his head’ as he was later when he became plant manager and non-engineer with a tech manufacturing - contract electronics manufacturing) - and DH had enough. DH was approved to work 30 hours/week - and I told DH to work the 30 hours and email the list of things to be completed by others to his boss, and he didn’t want to do that. DH looked at our portfolio and told me he wanted out, that we could afford for him to retire at 64 1/2. I worked enough hours with my employer to pick up health insurance for us about the same cost and same kind of health plan as DH had (saved us $1,000/month from COBRA cost), and I hung in and retired right at 65.
Interesting enough, a few years earlier, I had been on a group travel, and my job was getting to be a grind. I lined up a phone appointment to claim SS (just hitting age 63) and had my resignation letter ready - but when I went to turn it in, my boss offered me a better job (which cut out ‘the grind’ aspect of my nursing job) so I stayed working. It did give me better SS, and of course the income. We transitioned with DH retiring, then my retiring and transitioning turning on Medicare/Supplement/Drug Plan, DH with cardiology (COVID vaccine gave him paroxysmal A Fib and he had MD appointments, testing, and cardiac ablation surgery), then turning on DH’s SS and turning on our annuities (penalty free monthly withdrawals for cash flow). Whew! DH and I turn 70 this year - and are a few years away from RMDs. Awaiting SIL’s job transition from FT Army (he is out now) to FT work in cyber security (his last 3 years with Army which included 9 months of training, M - F all day classes). We are ‘working’ on the house (several home improvements ongoing) including discarding/donating. Will get into ‘high gear’ as soon as SIL has his job.
We plan to pull more out of 401k and put it in our after-tax personal stock account. We need ready cash buffer with moving expenses. Do plan to sell the house at peak market time, and probably be in a rental for a bit in new city to ‘buy right’. Still wrapping my head around the planned move.
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Yes people do put it all out there because the site is anonymous.
You can read and search the site without creating an account I believe. That could allow you to gain a level of comfort.
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My husband plays around a lot with chatgpt (paid subscription). He often comments about the way it always sounds confident even though the advise might not be very good. Still it’s a good way to gather some of the relevant factors you may not have thought about.
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People actually put a high level of detail (amounts, % in what kind of investment or the exact investment, etc.) when they’re hoping to get specific advice, and there are some posters who are quite knowledgable and very willing to help. It is worth reading some advice already given, so you can go a sense of the posters you might be similar to, or more likely to appreciate advice from. There are some people who push hard for people to do Roth conversions, for example, and some not so much.
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I actually feel there are more anti-Roth conversion comments than pro-Roth conversion.
As with so many things, one’s personal financial situation colors one’s perspective.
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from the article
“In February 2020, right before the pandemic was officially declared, the US labor force participation rate for workers ages 55 and older was 40.3%. In July 2026, it had dropped to 36.9%.”
so they are comparing the data from pre pandemic to today
Funny… I haven’t paid that much attn but I would bet “against” you if I had to make a bet (as far as for or against Roth advice).
I haven’t been on the site much in a couple of years, and I am one who has thought about doing Roth conversions but never executed. I am Medicare eligible next year, and my H is already on Medicare, so I will likely pay a LOT of taxes when we have to start taking RMDs (at 75).
IF we happen to move to a no income tax state (at one point we were seriously considering) then I would do a big conversion, but that’s not looking likely.