This is why retirement wishes are so important: You’re not just congratulating someone on an accomplishment—you’re celebrating and supporting them through a major life change. In short ...

Economist Alicia Munnell, one of the nation’s leading experts on retirement, has some advice that may seem counterintuitive: The key to a successful retirement, she says, is not to retire.

"Then they are protecting those goals by ensuring that they have secure, predictable income to fund their retirement needs and wants — freeing them to worry less and pursue their greatest wishes." ...