Flexible Retirements...or Perhaps Pre-Retirement.

Time magazine had a thought-provoking article entitled, "Flexible Retirements" (Dan Kadlec) in the May 21, 2007 issue. The article made the point that the most exciting news is here now: flexible work for pay in rewarding fields for folks past 50.

I am not 50 but the way people work has always fascinated me and besides, I hope to be over 50 some day and the thought of being put out to pasture is not terribly compelling. The article mentions the pesky looming financial issue that here in the U.S. a bulge of "baby boomers are about to retire and tap Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. To make good on the promises of these programs, the government may have to go deeper into debt or increase the tax burden. The math is suffocating. Something has to give."

The article continues, "Inside the beltway, one answer is increasingly heard: let's get a continuing economic contribution from folks after their primary career has ended and before they start draining the system's pension and healthcare assets".

Makes sense to me. I don't know anyone who wants to retire and do absolutely nothing.

This is why I have my eye on sites like Blue Chip Experts. A robust network of talent is an incredibly valuable asset and incredibly valuable to be a part of. If you think about it, movie producers have a pretty portable business model. A group of people are brought together based on their skills, talent, and availability to create a product. There's no reason why the same concept wouldn't work for a massive talent pool over 50.