As a young adult, retirement may feel distant, something that happens neatly at a fixed age after decades of full-time work. The traditional narrative is simple: Work until your mid-60s, retire, and stop working altogether. In reality, retirement is becoming far less linear. Many older adults now return to work after retiring, either by choice or necessity. This growing phenomenon, known as unretirement, carries important lessons for young adults when it comes to career planning and long-term financial decisions. What is unretirement? Unretirement refers to returning to work after retiring, or continuing to work beyond the traditional retirement age. This work rarely looks like a conventional full-time role. Instead, it often takes more flexible forms, such as part-time employment, consulting, freelance work, or short-term contracts. This shift reflects a broader reality: retirement is no longer a fixed endpoint. Longer life expectancy, changing workplace norms, and evolving financial needs mean many people now experience retirement as...