HOW COUPLES CAN MANAGE DIFFERING RETIREMENT TIME LINES

Staggered retirement is increasingly common, but it can create financial and emotional challenges.

- SANDRA BLOCK

WHEN it comes to marriage, there are expectations, and then there is reality. You may have envisioned, for example, that you and your partner would discuss the news of the day over a leisurely dinner, only to find yourself grabbing a Hot Pocket before taking the kids to band practice. That trip to Paris you planned for a landmark anniversary? The closest you've come to the City of Light is watching the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Your plans for retirement may also fail to live up to your expectations, particularly where timing is concerned. While more than one-fourth of workers say they expect to retire with their spouse, only 11% of current retired couples left the workforce at the same time, according to a survey by Ameriprise Financial.

Staggered retirement has become increasingly common among dualincome couples for a variety of reasons, ranging from age differences to contrasting views of job satisfaction. In some cases, retirement is unavoidable-one partner can no longer work because of health issues, for example, or is a victim of corporate cutbacks. But even when staggered retirement is voluntary, it can raise a host of emotional and financial issues, from who will be responsible for meals to how the couple will spend their free time, says Catherine Valega, a certified financial planner with Green Bee Advisory in Winchester, Mass.