{"id":527171,"date":"2026-07-01T06:57:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:57:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/527171\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T06:57:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T06:57:30","slug":"53-of-couples-clash-over-when-to-retire-therapists-and-advisors-say-the-fix-starts-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/527171\/","title":{"rendered":"53% of couples clash over when to retire \u2014 therapists and advisors say the fix starts here"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"An<\/a> Picture Alliance\/Getty Images <\/p>\n

Over half (53%) of all working couples responding to a 2024 Fidelity Investments (1) survey had conflicting ideas about how much money they need to retire. That’s not surprising, as the right amount can depend on the kind of retirement you want to live. <\/p>\n

But it’s a problem, as couples must be on the same page about their plans during their golden years. <\/p>\n

“In a healthy couple, a decision like retirement is approached with full transparency and enough time for both partners to process all the implications,” said Michele Christensen, an MA, relationship coach, and founder of Legacy Love (2). “Those implications include finances, but they also include time, solitude, privacy, the shared resource of your home, and the ways and quantity of time you spend together.” <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, when a couple discusses retirement but disagrees, this can create big problems. For example, let’s pretend we have a senior couple, Fred and Maryann. Maryann is turning 60 and wants to retire since the couple has over $2 million saved. <\/p>\n

Fred really wants Maryann to work for another year to bank more savings. He grew up poor, always worries about money, and wants a larger cushion. However, Maryann doesn’t want to waste another year of her life. So, what should Fred and Maryann do? <\/p>\n

Work with a financial professional to confirm retirement readiness <\/p>\n

Since Maryann wants to retire but Fred is worried about money, working with a financial advisor could be a good first step. If an independent financial professional says that the couple has enough, Fred might feel better about Maryann giving up another year of income. <\/p>\n

“A financial professional can help you look at your plan and see if it makes financial sense to retire,” Domenick D’Andrea (3), founder of DanDarah Wealth Management, told Moneywise. <\/p>\n

D’Andrea added couples should confirm their savings will span at least 20 to 30 years while covering rising costs, due to inflation, and warned that you should take into account the impact of an early retirement on Social Security benefits, as well as plan for healthcare costs. <\/p>\n

“This can help you and your spouse make an informed decision.” <\/p>\n

Discuss your needs openly and look for compromise <\/p>\n

Even if the numbers support Maryann’s stance, it may leave Fred feeling resentful that his position isn’t being heard, experts say. The prevailing thought may be a fear that whatever is saved isn’t enough. <\/p>\n

In this situation, it’s important for the couple to communicate openly. <\/p>\n

“The best thing couples can do is stop trying to prove their point and start trying to understand the deeper needs driving the disagreement,” said Mary McLaughlin (4), LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker and marriage counselor. “The goal isn’t to convince your partner you’re right. It’s to understand what each partner is protecting and longing for.” <\/p>\n

Kiki Jacobson (5), a licensed mental health therapist at YourMoneyCounselor.com (6), agrees. “I encourage clients to get curious with each other and themselves about what retirement would give them that they’re missing right now or what are the big concerns that come up when thinking about the other person retiring. Once those honest needs are identified and communicated, compromise becomes easier.” <\/p>\n

For example, if Maryann wants freedom and Fred wants security, the couple could work together to set a retirement budget that allows Maryann to retire early but that maintains a safe withdrawal rate so Fred feels more confident they won’t overspend. <\/p>\n

Maryann could also phase into retirement, as a compromise. “Retirement doesn’t have to be a binary decision where you either work or you don’t,” said Christensen. “Many people wind down their careers in stages.” <\/p>\n

The couple should explore these options together until they find a plan that truly makes them both happy. <\/p>\n

Article Sources <\/p>\n

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Fidelity Investments (1<\/a>); Our Legacy Love (2<\/a>); Dandarah Wealth Management (3<\/a>); Mary Mclaughlin (4<\/a>); LinkedIn (5<\/a>); Your Money Counselor (6<\/a>) <\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com<\/a> under the title: 53% of couples clash over when to retire \u2014 therapists and advisors say the fix starts here<\/a> <\/p>\n

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Picture Alliance\/Getty Images Over half (53%) of all working couples responding to a 2024 Fidelity Investments (1) survey…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527172,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[72,48887,176,19959,61,60,224371,174,175],"class_list":["post-527171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-personal-finance","tag-business","tag-fidelity-investments","tag-finance","tag-financial-professional","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-mary-mclaughlin","tag-personal-finance","tag-personalfinance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527171"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527171\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/527172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}