Retirement a daunting prospect

No other area of society is as burdened with antiquated ideas as retirement.

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Much of the world has operated on the same broad outlines that were established more than a century ago.

South Africa, despite its well-respected Constitution and legal frameworks, is no exception.

Our journalist, Lyse Comins, reported this week on the concerning decline among the middle class of those saving for retirement. With soaring costs of living and priority given to paying off debts, fewer people are putting away adequate amounts that might one day give them the option of stepping away from full-time employment.

That is a dreadful proposition to many later in life, with reliance on family and drastic cost-cutting becoming the only alternatives.