retirement.docx

retirement.docx

《retirement.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《retirement.docx（12页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

retirement

Planningintegraltoretirement

RetireestakeupcreativepursuitsunderYeeHongFoundation'sActiveSeniorProgram.

Lyingonabeachinafar-offlandmaynolongerbearealisticdreamforretirement.

Eveninadownwardspirallingeconomy,acomfortableretirementinHongKongismoreaboutasteadyamountofwealthandfinancialplanning.

JacobChanisthedirectorofYangMemorialMethodistSocialService,amulti-disciplinarysocial-serviceagencythattargetsgroupsofelderly,young,disabledpersonsandthefamilyasawhole.

HesaidthegovernmentredefinedthemeaningofagingwiththeintroductionoftheMandatoryProvidentFund（MPF）,whichdelaystheretirementagefrom60to65years.

AccordingtotheCensusandStatisticsDepartment,theunemploymentrateamongpeopleaged50orabovein1992was2.5percent.By2004,ithadclimbedto14.6percent.

Inspiredbythesestatisticsandthefactthatmanyseniorsoftenconsiderstartingtheirownbusinessbutlackedthenecessaryexperienceandtraining,theorganizationlauncheda"BusinessStart-upProjectforSeniorCitizens"tocooperatewitharelatedtraininginstitutiontodeveloptrainingfortheparticipants.

"Withtheeffectofthebabyboomersandwiththelongevityofthepopulationingeneral,retirementnolongermeansanendtoworkbutitcoulddefineasthetimeofaturningpoint,achancetorechargeandthenreinventoneself,"Chansaid.

Hisorganizationisnotaloneinfocusingonthewell-beingofseniorsinHongKong.

TimothyMaistheexecutivedirectorofSeniorCitizenHomeSafetyAssociation,aHongKong-basedNGOthatoffersservicestomorethan63,000eldersrequiringconstantcare.

MaunderscoredthattheMPFisnotenoughtoprovideforacomfortableretirementespeciallywhensomecompaniesdonotprovidethisoptionforelderlyworkers.Fortheseindividuals,saidMa,retirementisnotdefinedbyacompanypolicy,butrather,"retirementmeanstostopworkingasafull-timeworkeratanagency."

Manyseniorsfindthatapproachingacertainageintheircareersallowsthemthefreedomtostartvolunteeringwiththecommunityanddoingactivitiesabusycareerdidnotallowthemtimetodo.

"Retirementisthestartofanothercareerlifeifyoukeeponworkingonothercompanies,"hesaid.

Assuch,forhisorganization,"themostcrucialandmajorsustainingfactortokeepingretireeswithdirectionistochallengethemtoservethecommunity,tolearnwhattheymissedduringtheirbusyworkingtime."

Multigenerationalhouseholds

TheChinesetraditionofmultigenerationalhouseholdsmaybeinjeopardyaspensionsandsecuredlifetimeemploymentcontinuestodiminishinsizeandavailability.

AccordingtotheCensusandStatisticsDepartment's2006ElderlyProfileReport,37.9percentoftheelderlyliveinpublicrentalhousingand56.3percentinprivatepermanenthousing.About83percentoftheelderlylivewithfamilymembers（spouseand/orchildren）andabout10percentlivealone.

SeveralexpertsagreethatHongKong'slimitedspaceandhighcostoflivingimpacttheabilityofhouseholdstosupportseniorfamilymembers.

"InHongKong,differentgenerationsarenotlivingtogether,buttheyliketolivecloselyinthesamecommunitytomaintainnetworksandrelations,"saidMa.

Seniorcitizensthesedayshavetokeepupwithchangingsocialvalues.

"Moreandmoreelderlychoosetolivebythemselvesastheywouldprefertohavetheironlylivingpatternsandhabits,alsotoavoidcreatingtenserelationswithotherkidsandtheirin-laws,"saidMa.

Chan,however,offeredtheexplanationthat"undertheinfluenceoftheWesternculturemostpeople,especiallytheyoungergeneration,yearnandlookformorepersonalspaceandprivacy.Thus,mostofthemstrivetoliveapartoncewhentheyarebetterofffinanciallyorwhentheygetmarried."

Hepointedoutthata1997studythat"highlightedthatthenextgenerationofelderlywouldchoosetoliveapartfromtheirchildrensoastomaintaintheirindependenceandgoodrelationswiththeirchildren."

"Underthedownturnoftheeconomicclimate,anothercommonphenomenonisthatsomeoftheadultchildrenmovebacktolivewiththeeldersaftertheyselltheirflatstopaydebts.Thissituationmightupsetthebalanceofthewholefamilyinthesenseoflivinghabitsandfamilyfinancialexpenses,"saidChan.

Retiringabroad

Withtheseissuesinmind,someseniorschoosetoretireabroadorremaintherehavingleftAsiamanyyearsago.

DrErnestChui,associatedirectorofSauPoCentreonAgeingatUniversityofHongKong,saidthatagreatmajority（ofseniors）stayinHongKongwhileasmallnumberofthemmigratetothemainlandwhentheyretire.SomejointheirchildreninCanada,UnitedStatesandAustralia."

"Theoldconceptofretirementasstaying-putisnolongerthetrend,"saidone75-year-oldmanwhonowworksinHongKongasaconsultant."Itisnotthewordretirementthatisimportant;itisa'changeoflifestyle'."Hedescribedhimselfasan"East-Westsnowbird"havingdecidedtoreturntoHongKongafterspending41yearsinCanada.

Physically-challengedresidentsenjoysomeentertainmentprovidedbythefoundationaspartofitsDayCareProgram.PhotoscourtesyofYeeHongFoundation

AnotherexampleisStanleyKwanwhoisanalert84yearoldhavingretired20yearsagoafteranillustriouscareerinHongKongthatincludedheadingtheresearchdepartmentatHangSengBankandbeinga"Chinawatcher"attheAmericanConsulate.

OriginallyfromHongKong,heremainedintouchbywritingabooktitled"TheDragonandtheCrown:

HongKongMemoirs"publishedlastyearbyHongKongUniversity.

"Ijusttakethingseasy,"hesaidmodestlyoverthephone.Hespendshisretirementinthequietpursuitofintellectualendeavors.

Awidevarietyofopportunitiesinretirementisavailable,buttheyrequireindependenceandcarefulplanningparticularlyduringchallengingeconomictimes.

Differentstrokesfordifferentfolks

Thealternativenowadaysistocontinueworkingpart-time,volunteering,orprovidingconsultingservicesnotonlytosurvivebuttoremainactiveinone'sgoldenyears.

Seniorsthesedayswillhavesecond,thirdandmaybefourthcareersintheirlifetimes:

"It'swhatyoudowithyourtimethatchanges-whetheryouwanttouseyourtimetotourChinaortoseefamilymembersmoreoften,"saidonegrey-collarworkerfromhishomeinHongKong.

"Babyboomersnolongerlookatretirementperse,"hesaid,"theynolongerrelyonapensionorbuyingahouseoutsidethecountryanddoingnothing."

DrChuiwarned,nevertheless,that"someseniorsmaylosetheirjobs,thusweakeningthebasisfortheir'contributory'retirementprotectionschemeundertheMPF."

Hecited2006censusfiguresthatindicated57,000seniorsaged65andoverwerestillworkingofwhich41percenthaveamonthlysalarybelowHK$6,000.ThemedianmonthlyincomeoftheentireworkingpopulationisHK$10,000.

Moreover,saidDrChui,"iftheeconomyslackensfurther,someelderlyworkersmaylosetheirjobs,evenalreadylow-paidor'3D'jobs-dirty,dangerous,difficultones.Somemayhavetoturntoreceivinggovernmentwelfare.Thosewhorelyontheiradultchildren'sfinancialsupportmayalsosufferindirectlyastheirchildrenmayalsolosejobsorincome."

Withregardstohisownretirement,Masaidthatheplansto"workhalf-timetocontributemoretothevolunteerserviceasconsultant,advisoraswellashelperatsomeorganizations."

Chanisalsolookingforwardtoretirement:

"IhavenoworriesaboutitbecauseIhavegoodpreparationforit-bothfinanciallyandemotionally."

（HKEdition04/04/2009page3）

oHome

oLAUNCHConference

oMahalo

oThisWeekIn

oOpenAngelForum

C

Acatchphrasewillgoheresoon.

Officialannouncementregardingmyretirementfromblogging.

7/11/2008

ViewComments

NOTE:

YesI’vestoppedblogging,butyoucanfindmycommentary/blogpostsonmyprivatemailinglistnow,Jason’sList,here:

（Note:

useyourrealnameandarealemailaddress.Ionlyapprovefolkswithrealnames）.

“It’swithaheavyheart,andmuchconsideration,thattodayIwouldliketoannouncemyretirementfromblogging.”

JasonMcCabeCalacanis,July11th2008.

Thiswasanextremelydifficultdecision,andIhaven’tmadeitlightly.AfterfiveyearsI’mnotsureIknowanyotherwayofbeingbuttheblog,butatsomepointyouhavetohangitup.IknowthatIhadmadetherightdecisionformeandmyfamily.IamveryproudofthesuccessthatwehavehadinbloggingandIleavethegamewithfewregrets.

Tobesure,Iamgoingtomissblogging.Iamgoingtomisstherelationshipswithmyfellowbloggers.Iamgoingtomissthereaders.IamgoingtomissthegreatfriendsthatIhavemadeoverthistime.Iamgoingtomissallthegoodtimesthatwehavehadtogether.Butmostofall,Iamgoingtomissthecomments.*

TodayIconsidermyselftheluckiestmanonthefaceoftheearth.Ihavebeenlinkedtofromsomanyblogsoverthefiveyears,andIhaveneverreceivedanythingbutkindnessandencouragementfromyoufans.**

CalacanisPRrep:

AtthispointMr.Calacaniswilltakeacoupleofquestions（youcanposttothecommentifyoulike）.

“Whatnow?

”SaulHansell,NewYorkTimes:

Startingtodayallofmythoughtswillbereservedforanewmedium.Somethingsmaller,somethingmoreintimate,andsomethingverypersonal:

anemaillist.Todaytheemaillisthasabout600members,I’mgoingtocutitoffwhenitreaches750.Frankly,that’senoughmorethanenoughpeopletohaveaconversationwith.I’mgoingtotryandbuildadeeperrelationshipwithfewerpeople–trytogetbacktomyroots.

“Whyno