What Is an Appropriate Retirement Gift?

Give a gift to someone who is retiring to honor his years of service.

If you have a friend who is approaching retirement, then you need to start thinking about gifts you can give him to honor his years of service, hard work and commitment to his chosen field. Retirements can be bittersweet. A longtime employee may look forward to days that allow him to be a little more flexible with his days and plans. However, retirement also is an adjustment period, in which a worker must learn to walk away from a job he sometimes loves.

Significance of Gifts

Retirements are milestone events in a person's life. It marks the age when an employee no longer has to work a standard work schedule and has more freedom concerning the kinds of activities he would like to do during his day. The days and weeks leading up to retirement are significant in that they should honor the retirees commitment and service to his job through gifts, parties and other events.

Age-Appropriate Gifts

Keep age in mind when selecting a gift. A person can begin drawing Social Security benefits at age 62; however, you will not get full benefits until you reach 65 years old and 10 months. "If you start receiving retirement benefits at age 62, you will get 75.8 percent of the monthly benefit because you will be getting benefits for an additional 46 months," according to the Social Security Administration. Some people choose to retire long before 62 and 65 if they have enough money and savings to sustain their lifestyle until they project they will die.

Tips on Humorous Gifts

A retirement gift can be just about any gift that the gift recipient would have an interest in and can be serious or humorous. It is important, however, for the gift to be classy. Retirement is a season in life that people may make jokes about, and that can be okay, but you want to mix humor with encouragement. Remember to select a gift that will uplift the retiree instead of tear him down.

Hobby Gifts

A "hobby gift" is an ideal gift for a retiree, according to "U.S. News and World Report." Think about the kinds of activities your coworker already likes to do in his spare time and build a gift around that interest. Listen for any comments he makes about how he wants to spend his retirement days and give him a gift that helps him live out a dream. You can purchase prepaid lessons for a specific sport or musical instrument. Be creative.

Memento Gifts

For the sentimental retiree and even the marginally-sentimental retiree, a "memento gift" is a unique gift that will uplift and remind the retiree that his work has made a difference. "The most meaningful retirement gifts are often photos or a scrapbook recognizing what the retiree accomplished during his or her working years," according to "U.S. News and World Report."

Charitable Gifts

Saying good-bye to an old workplace and a profession is difficult, and there is a desire in some to leave behind a legacy. Let the retiree know that his legacy continues and his good works continue even after he is gone by making a charitable donation in his name to his favorite charity or to a cause you know he advocates.

References

• U.S. News and World Report: Retirement Gift Ideas