Before you seek new employment, have a clear idea of how much you want to work, how far you're willing to commute and how much flexibility you need, advises Michael Jalbert, president of MRINetwork, a professional-staffing firm. You'll be miserable if you land in the same overextended, high-pressure situation that made you savor early retirement. Other thoughts for boomerang retirees:
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | "I Flunked Retirement. Twice" |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Extreme Early Retirement |
Start with the company you're leaving. See if you can find a role as a consultant or as a trainer to help orient your replacement. Short-term assignments can morph into longer-term engagements.
Look to the suppliers that your company uses. Assuming you have no conflicts of interest, your expertise and experience could be extremely useful to such an organization.
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Tap the network you've developed. Contact colleagues from professional organizations and tell them what you want to do. Keep an up-to-date résumé.
Consider other outlets. Many retired boomers are turning up as teachers, from elementary school through college (see www.teaching-jobs.org).
Try job-hunting Web sites that are geared to older workers. RetirementJobs.com sponsors an age-friendly-employer certification program. H&R Block, Borders, Marriott, REI and Staples make the grade, as do regional employers that are committed to meaningful work, development opportunities, and competitive pay and benefits for workers 50 and older. Other age-targeted Internet job boards include: SimplyHired.com/fiftyplus, RetiredBrains.com, SeniorJobBank.com and Seniors4Hire.org.
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457 Plan Contribution Limits for 2026Retirement plans There are higher 457 plan contribution limits in 2026. That's good news for state and local government employees.
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SEP IRA Contribution Limits for 2026SEP IRA A good option for small business owners, SEP IRAs allow individual annual contributions of as much as $70,000 in 2025, and up to $72,000 in 2026.
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Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2026Roth IRAs Roth IRAs allow you to save for retirement with after-tax dollars while you're working, and then withdraw those contributions and earnings tax-free when you retire. Here's a look at 2026 limits and income-based phaseouts.
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SIMPLE IRA Contribution Limits for 2026simple IRA For 2026, the SIMPLE IRA contribution limit rises to $17,000, with a $4,000 catch-up for those 50 and over, totaling $21,000.
