How long will you be working?

Most Americans don't remember a day when there was no retirement age - official or perceived. Are we headed toward a new shift in the way we think about retirement?

The Federal Reserve announced yesterday that the net worth of American households fell by the largest amount last quarter since the Fed began tracking the statistic more than a half-century ago. For most Americans, that comes in the form of retirement accounts.

The Fed said Thursday that household net worth dropped by a record 9 percent in 2008's October-December period, compared to the previous quarter. The agency's records go back to 1951.

Drops in home values were a contributor to the loss in net worth, but the biggest dent in the family balance sheet came from stock market losses, which the Fed estimated slashed Americans' stock holdings by 23.2 percent.

Now, more of us are expecting to work longer to make up the differences.

More than 70 years ago, the U.S. Committee on Economic Security proposed age 65 as the retirement age under Social Security - although many Americans, especially farmers, kept right on working. That retirement age has crept up a couple of years as the Social Security Administration has tried to save money by delaying benefits, and those benefits might continue to diminish.

Now, more than half of Americans - 54 percent - believe they'll have to delay retirement at least one year past the age of 67, according to a survey from retirement planning consultant Sun-Life Financial, which is tracking American sentiment about retirement.

A quarter of Americans now think they'll have to work at least five years longer.

Will early or leisurely retirements become a relic - except for the most affluent among us? Tell us what you think. How long do you plan to work, and why?

Your Morning Edge:

The financial news was not as bad as analysts expected yesterday, which was enough to send markets soaring, the New York Times reports. Analysts have short-term skepticism, however.

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