As I thought more about getting a financial house in order as preparation for working less or not at all, I thought that what I had already written on this topic was pretty elitist. My suggestions were fine for those who have invested assets, or for those fortunate enough to have enough money to plan for a final period of life without financial worries.

That's not true for a lot of us. When I was 50 I figured I'd have to work more or less full time until I died.  The fact that I don't is as a result of good fortune, not planning on my part.  Two of my daughters are in the same boat. They have no insurance, and no cushion on which to fall or rest. I'm guessing that some of you have such challenges.

So I want to add a second thought about what to do toward the end of our lives if our financial choices are limited. If you have to work for the rest of your life, or as close as you can come, I hope that you are doing something that makes you happy, something that provides purpose to your life, and something that enriches the world in some way.

I have not stopped working at almost 75 because I want to work. More and more of us do. We're not interested in golf lessons or bridge games. We are interested in continuing to learn and grow, and we also must make some kind of living. If you are in these shoes, and have been for awhile, I make the assumption that you have figured out how to live within what you have and what you make, and that you are not necessarily unhappy about this.

I don't know how many people over 65 have no money worries at all, but I suspect even some of them worry anyway. For the rest of us, we have to figure out how to have the best last third of our lives while still earning at least a partial livelihood. While this is challenging, it is not necessarily life diminishing. It can be life enhancing.