Retirement and Marital Decision-Making: Effects on Retirement Satisfaction

This study explores how partner s employment and preretirement decision-making structures affect retirement satisfaction, using pooled data from Waves 1 to 4 of the Health and Retirement Surveys. Based on resource theory, the analyses indicate that retired husbands are least satisfied if their wives remain employed and had more say in decisions prior to the husband s retirement. Retired wives are least satisfied if their husbands remain employed and had more say in decisions prior to the wife s retirement. These results suggest that retirement transitions undermine married retirees satisfaction if they enhance the other partner s influence in the relationship. More research should address linkages between work and family realms during transitions such as retirement and explore the negotiation processes surrounding such transitions.

Marriage/Decision Making/Retirement

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