How Gen Z is Rethinking and Preparing for Retirement

What is the key to a fulfilling career and life? Maybe it isn’t about what happens when we sign off for retirement - if we ever sign off at all. 

In this episode of #GenZ, Meghan sits down with Noah Sheidlower, economy reporter at Business Insider, to explore a surprising trend reshaping the workforce: more Americans than ever are staying on the job— including those in their 70s, 80s, and even 90s. 

Noah has spent the past year interviewing hundreds of older adults about why they work, what they’ve learned during their careers, and what they wish they had known earlier in life. From Home Depot cashiers to 80-year-old construction workers, these stories reveal both the financial realities and deeply human motivations behind working later in life.

Together, Meghan and Noah unpack:

  • Why retirement is no longer a one-size-fits-all milestone

  • The role of purpose and social connection in healthy aging

  • Common regrets older generations have — and how Gen Z can learn from them now

  • How younger workers are approaching financial planning earlier than ever

  • The freedom that comes with letting go of “life timelines”

Follow along with Noah’s work here: