He Wants to Retire... but She Doesn't

Let's say you have managed to stay married—or even remarried—by the time you hit middle age. Get ready for one more marital hurdle.

The odds are your spouse won't feel the same way you do about when to retire. A recent study by Fidelity Investments found that well over half of couples—62%—disagree on the timing of their respective retirements.

Consider Deborah Ewing, a 55-year-old attorney practicing family law, and her husband, Patrick Hickey, 62, a tax-software programmer. Mr. Hickey has a two-hour-plus daily commute from their home in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif., to his job in Los Angeles, and says he feels tired. He would like to retire "as soon as possible."

No go. "I have told him he has to stay working until the last kid is out of college in four years," Ms. Ewing says. "For me it would be annoying not to have someone pulling their weight. I realize he's older. But on a personal level, I don't see it as positive. My perspective is he would putter around the house." Read more.......