Women are rebranding their retirement eras

At Ellevest, we spend a lot of time talking about retirement with women: both how they picture their retirement and what they actually do when they’re retired.

And let’s just say that retirement — those supposedly somnolent last few chapters of life, in Florida, enlivened by golf, early-bird-special dinners, and cherubic grandkids — needs a rebrand. Because the essence of retirement is moving from that to something more dynamic, more energetic. Especially for women.

From what we see, women are simply doing retirement differently.

It’s less about going hard at our careers for decades and then stopping, reminiscing, softening. It’s more … more. More work in some capacity, either part-time or consulting. More board work, more volunteering, more going back to school. More starting businesses and prioritizing passions. More travel. (Lots more travel.)

More being really intentional about how they want to spend this chapter of their lives. For women, retirement means re-evaluating and refreshing. Even recommitting.

In other words, women are retiring a passive retirement. Read why this is and what this could look like for you in my latest piece for LinkedIn.

“Being able to put away $500+ every month into a high-yield savings account! I would hear stories of people doing that, and I just NEVER had that much money left over. Thanks to a raise and no longer being married to a man who was a spender, I can finally save and invest for my future!” — Natasha, Dallas, TX

We love a comeback story! Do you have a recent financial comeback story like Natasha’s? We’d love to hear about it at questions@ellevest.com, or here.

🥛 Got links?

• 🎀 FINTECH IS FEMME: Learn about everything fintech — from entrepreneurial strategies to venture capital funding — from journalist Nicole Casperson in her must-read newsletter.
• 🙄 TODAY IN “DUH”: What happened when an Alabama manufacturer provided child care stipends for its workers? It retained working moms. You don’t say …
• 👚 SUIT UP: Buying work clothes for a return-to-office? Here’s what M.M.LaFleur recommends you get.
• 🍫 A CHOCOLATE-LESS FUTURE?: Climate change may take wine, cocoa, and olive oil away from us. (It’s never been more important to invest toward a better world.)
• 📢 SURVEY SAYS: Women are more likely than men to include travel (44% versus 32%) and having pets (27% versus 18%) among their crucial life goals and aspirations. (PS: There’s never been a better time to learn about goal-based investing.)