Just what are baby boomers looking for in retirement?

Hi i am 58 years old i lost my job 2 years ago with all the cuts and at my age its impossible to find a job. so now i am having a hard time to find rent that i can afford and the list is long over 3000 in montreal alone waiting for housing there are not enough for us boomers Where are we suppose to go and live its so bad i even had to do a bancruptcy i couldnt do it anymore So if someone could help us instead of condos for retirees with expensive sales most people do not all have a pension from work when you work in the offices there is no such thing unless a big company but then again to get in you need someone to get you in sohere we go again we lose all the churches the schools they have close but nothing for the older generation the hospitals are over flowing of people to be placed of old age who needs care but there are no places at all there full so imagine us baby boomers are here just around the corner what happens to us and yous have advertise this that the baby boomers are here and WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LOL YEAH RIGHT do you know how many that are not even able to feed themselves real food because the rents are to high

I am demographically a Boomer and what I want is a good life for myself and for others. Some of us are not self absorbed and greedy.

I live an active outdoor lifestyle and took advantage of the lower cost housing provided. I moved from Southern Ontario to Sudbury to enjoy this lifestyle more fully. I would happily pay more taxes because it would vastly improve our society and provide high quality health care. There is more than enough art and culture where I live an it is available and affordable. Most important I volunteer to contribute to my community. I stay in touch with the issues and speak out as a good citizen should. We have made many friends in our new home and have developed supportive relationships with our neighbours.

We are social animals and need to remain socially engaged with our society until the end. Retirement should simply be a period of life much like before but with more discretionary time.

I am 56 and I had quit construction due to medial reason's. I lost almost 50% of my monthly pension payout's. Soon I will loose my health and welfare benefit's. Everyone is blaming the baby boomer's for this crisis. The problem has been the same all along. The administrators are taking far too much money out and their shae of profit on the intrerist.After all it was the baby boomers that fought for work conditions and pensions in vain. The true culprits are the big companies and the administrators,Beware of the future those that blame us because your future looks even worse and lets cut govt. pensions in half and let them eat a little tuna too.What is next God only nos. Nice support fom your govt.Tax Tax Tax

I have recently retired, having worked for 40 years, raising three children on my own as a divorced mother. I waited until I was 70 to retire, and glad I did. I did not live extravagantly during my work years, did not have a car, but still had a fun time. Now I'm enjoying life to the fullest-more than I imagined. My savings and investments will last the rest of my life-I hope to live to be 100. I think attitude and common sense made this retirement possible for me. I actually am living better now than before. I think younger people now give way too much to their children, and feel they have to have it all to feel successful.maybe for the moment-but think long term------.

It has been us "Boomers" that have been paying the freight for the last 40+ years. It is only reasonable to expect that there should be some benefit to us now that we are at or near retirement age.

Who really cares what the boomers want - they basically exploited the economic system for their own benefit, racked up huge govt debts for the following generations to deal with, and now want to push back the age for collecting CPP and OAS for future retirees so they can bleed the funds dry before anyone else can be eligible...the faster they get off this globe the better.....

Well, Well Ralph... didn't your motheer ever tell you it's not nice to judge and generallize? Well it IS. We can't help that our parents procreated a TON after the war, we were idealistic when we were young - we protested and wanted a better world -- we changed LOTS of things - then when marriage & kids happen, we had to divert our energy elsewhere. You can have your opinion, youre entitled to it, jst as we all are -- but walk up to a boomer and say what you're saying here directly to their face... not everyone is as you are painting it. We will be off the globe in NO time and then you'll be in our shoes and the same thing will be said about you ..... just sayin' -

I am 35 years old, I am self employed, I work 6 days a week. I live in Victoria BC were the average house price is half a million dollars. I will not be able to afford a house in a city I help build, literally, because I am over taxed and I can not get ahead, i see all my folks and their generation collecting almost 100,000.00 $ pentions a year, 70% of what they MADE! and then when they die, their spouses get 70% of that, the boomer generation and the generation before that screwed everything and now its come time to figure out a new system. So many of my generation are leaving canada, buying foriegn property, in countries like Thailand, Indoniesia, and in my case, Mexico. The contributing workforce that the govnt. relies on are bailing out.So to all you greedy boomers that say the same old thing" we'll be of the globe in no time" some of you will be here longer than you think, and when your "pentions" run dry and your "kids" are enjoying early retirement in foriegn countries, You will have nobody to get your groceries and no money to afford them. coming straight from the mouth of Gen. XY

Well, my In-Laws won't have much of a retirement because they lived above their standards in the past 25 years. Mother in law is taking retirement at age 60 in 2 years even though she has a good job, Just tired of working she says. Meanwhile, husband retires iin 8 to reach 65. They have no life insurance, no RRSP's, no company pensions, no house because they rent. They own a 5th wheel camping trailer, snowmobiles, four wheelers & old fishing boat. Both had jobs making
$45 000 year but their philosophy was to live for the moment. When it's time to retire, the government will be there or surely our daughter will take care of us.
I hear of stories like this all the time. It's all about me, me, me, me. Have to live like the Jones'. Now they are complaining how expensive everything is. Being a Financial Planner, I did my best to advise them to sock some money away for a rainy day, no matter how little. Nope, got to live now in case you die tomorrow. Well, I hope they enjoyed their life until now because once retired, their standard won't be much with very little CPP and OAS.

To Matt: You are generation Y. I am generation X. I think miuch differently than you.
I am not angry at baby boomers. I realize, for the most part, they worked very hard for their money and they paid into CPP. They deserve every cent coming to them.
The big difference between then and now is taxes. However, taxes have gone up the most WHILE the baby boomers were in their prime. The taxes have gone up, to my knowledge because Candians have wanted a "free" health care system, that isn't free at all. Well, guess who has paid those taxes for decades BEFORE the 30 or 20 year olds were thought of...it was the baby boomers. Now, let those baby boomers enjoy what most Canadians have wanted. THEY deserve it, THEY need it now.
Lastly, to anyone under 40, let me remind you that the body's health DOES deteoriate slightly when you hit your 40's. I know. Then, I've been told, your health deteoriates more after 60.
What am I looking for? I'm looking to have my basic needs met because my family has paid into it.

It is rash and stupid to blame baby boomers for the current mess. Blame the spineless gutless vote sucking pandering politicians for not thinking through the future costs of the entitlements we currently get. But then again, the politicians were pandering to that big voter bludge of baby boomers. Oh, I guess you can blame the BB's after all. heh.

To Trixie: Actually Generation X is considered those who are born between 1961 and 1981, so Matt being 35 he is either born in 1976 or 1977 making him a young Gen X'er.

It's 5 years off (semi-retired now) but you asked what I want and here it is:
1. To stay healthy as long as possible by (mostly) sensible eating and lots and lots of exercise, especially in the outdoors, so I won't be a burden to myself, family or the health care system.
2 To love and help with grandchildren (if and when I ever get any), and be there for my "kids"
3 To go on volunteering especially with literacy, ESL, kids reading, math and science, search and rescue, and help single moms (eg babysitting) and others as needs arise - more time for all this
4.To live in a small well insulated house within walking distance of the shops, schools etc and grow vegetables in the back garden and live a mostly eco-friendly lifestyle (love cooking too)
5 To keep mentally active by always learning new challenging stuff - helps stave off Alzeimers too.
6.to be able to afford this simple lifestyle and still be able to travel to see my family and occasionally travel somewhere new and exciting (on a budget as usual)
Those are my hopes, although I know there are "black swan" type events that can disrupt anyone's life at any time - nothing you can do about those except try and ride them out.

So Bill, we are BOTH generation X. However, he was speaking as though a generation Y, which he is not. My point was, I don't think like a generation Y. Now looking, maybe I don't think like a generation X either, Bill. I probably think more like a Baby boomer.

We must stick together and support our neighbor. Canadian's love to complain and do nothing. They condemn unions which fight for all Canadian's and work for the working people. Get out and protest what is happening in this country. A politician receives a life time pension for only 6 yrs on the job. They want to take everything away from the average guy. Which by the way is disappearing. Stop this before the middle class is gone. Fight for our lives and our jobs. Time to rise and stand up to the government.

I was taken out of school at the age of 16 to support my family. Because of this I was at the same company for 41 years. I always knew the company would not look after me after retirment . As soon as I could I started to invest . Because of this I was able to retire at 57 and I am living quite well. Maybe people should look to the future and not to the government.

I was born in 1963 and I can't believe the amount of whining on here. If you don't like where you live or can't afford where you live then perhaps you should move and find a location you can afford. Stop blaming the baby boomers for your life. There are plenty of places in Canada that are affordable, beautifull, where you can find jobs and live a great life. Plan ahead for your future and stop spending your hard earned money on things you can't afford.( cell phones, designer clothing for example) Eat at home. Shop at farmer markets to get fresh produce, meat etc...Use manufacturers coupons to save money on items. Buy things only when they are on sale. Get a freezer so you can stock up when the sales are on. Shop around when you need to buy big ticket items. There are many ways to save money but people are just too darn lazy to do it these days. Looking forward to my retirement in a small community in Northern Ontario in the future.

its not the baby boomers fault that things are going arye....its our greedy and thoughtless politions who over the years have squaundered money senselessly giving it football stadiums, allsorts of religious, ethnic, charitable, and just stupid promises to buy votes and popularity. they use their positions to pad their own pockets quite well....wherre else can you work 6 or 8 years and get such a good pension? politicions are the only employees who write their own paycheques and decide what and how much their benefits will be.....this is something we as canadians should put a stop to immediately and control it . if you notice when there is a pproblem somewhere else in the world our gavt. is quick to write a cheque no questions asked...but if there is a disaster here there are alot ofpromises and bullshit slung but later on there is no moneyor help for the victims... they just keep prcrastnating hoping people get tired oftrying to get them to come thru on their promises and just go away. so don't blame the poor people who have worked hard to pay for all the things you enjoy but now(you) don't want to work to support. use your efforts to stop the govt. from senselessly squandering your monet and continually asking for and taking more...take control.

Baby Boomers come to Windsor On. Homes and rent are half the price. very little crime, sporting events just across the border, winerys galor, Golfing 9-10 months a year, surrounded by water, Very little snow shovelling, closer to Florida, freindly people and much more. A bigger bang for the buck.
Bob Hunt Remax Realty

I would agree with most of the commentary, regarding politicians and their motivations.

It is amazing that this country, followed a low dollar policy for years, ensuring manufacturing and resource jobs, would be "competitve" in the short term. Then "float" the dollar, so that our currency is now at par or higher. Great way to increase "wealth" for the politicians, to tax more and more.

Everything else goes up except your salaries or wages. Indeed if corporations, governments and businesses, could get you to work for nothing, they would. as a resouce based country, we are selling our ever diminishing resources, for far less value, (eg. raw log exports) than they are worth.

"We" have allowed the destruction, of our manufacturing base, and the increasing foreign ownership of our resources. "We" have to regain control of the "political agenda" and not allow business and foriegn intrests, to dictate how we utilize our wealth and resources.

To the next generation X ,Y and beyond...reclaim control of your political system. It is broken. You can make a difference, through political involvment and change....if you get involved in a large power base. Numbers really do matter to the politico's. They equate to dollars. Speak with your money and your feet. Leave area's that do not or will not support your core intrests.

To the retiree's future and present. Wants versus Needs. Get out of the major metropoltan area's.
On a fixed income.. you cannot afford to feed the "dragon" Smaller communities are the way to go,
less stress, less cost, better quality of life. If enough boomers, leave the larger centre's, prices for real
estate will fall and possibly rebalance the equation, for the next generation.

Make no mistake. The current monetary scheme has been engineered. The Wall Street collapse and the global economic fallout is not over, as the same problems exist. The next generation has to "take control" of a mess that has been "allowed" exist, in order for the "establishment" to get wealthier, while the middle class is slowly destroyed. This has been accomplished through taxation and the exporting of jobs, technology and "wealth".