Age differences in expected satisfaction with life in retirement

Research on expected quality of life in retirement has focused on the perceptions of individuals either living in retirement or nearing retirement age. In this article, data are reported that examine expectations of (future) retirement quality of life among younger and middle-aged adults. Toward this end, a new scale--the Satisfaction with Life in Retirement Scale--is introduced. As part of the study, a pair of age-specific, theoretically-driven, hierarchically-structured path models were tested in which individuals' perceptions of future retirement satisfaction were regressed on indicators of financial knowledge, future time perspective, financial risk tolerance, and parental financial values. Models from both age groups were successful in accounting for variability in perceptions of future retirement satisfaction; however, age differences in the model were observed. The results of this investigation have implications for retirement counselors and intervention specialists who seek to cultivate positive perceptions of late life among individuals of different ages.