The Good, Retired Life

Toronto, ON - According to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of RBC, while a slim majority (56%) of individuals approaching retirement believe that their quality of life will get better once they retire, eight in ten (79%) current retirees indicate their quality of life was improved once they retired. These findings suggest that retired life is even better than individuals might have originally predicted.

One of the many perks of being retired is, in many cases, freedom from the alarm clock. Fully two thirds (66%) of retired Canadians say that they have freed themselves from the shackles of the morning buzzer, indicating that they never use an alarm clock to wake up. But this doesn't mean that these individuals are slowing down in retirement; rather, two thirds (67%) of retired Canadians indicate that they are continuing to live their lives at the same pace as they were before retiring.

As boomers begin to approach the golden years of retirement, it appears that they are starting to appreciate the health and wellness of their own bodies and minds. In fact, almost all (90%) boomers in the retirement window say that they are becoming more aware of the need for wellness and personal care. Furthermore, two thirds (67%) of retirees suggest that they spend more time looking after themselves than they used to, which contrasts with just six in ten (59%) pre-retired boomers who indicate that they are able to do the same thing.

And thinking ahead to their future, it looks like the road ahead looks bright with a majority of both retirees (57%) and pre-retired boomers (55%) saying that they are optimistic about their future. Perhaps as a self-fulfilling prophesy, this optimistic outlook bodes well for their own futures considering that virtually all (94%) boomers studied believe that happy people live longer. On the other hand, roughly one in ten (13%) say that they feel nervous or worried (11%) when asked to think about their lives in the future.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of RBC from August 3 to August 8, 2007. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 2,037 adult Canadians between the ages of 50 and 69 with household assets of $100,000 or more was interviewed online. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1772.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population in this age and income range been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Reid
Public Affairs
(416) 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2006, Ipsos generated global revenues of 857.1 million euros ($1.1 billion USD).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

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