For better or for worse, the world of business keeps evolving and changing, and the old concept of unswerving loyalty between employer and employees has largely faded into history. There have always been good and bad times, but it is quite common today for an individual to have been retrenched several times before reaching retirement age.

The sudden availability of a comparatively large sum of money, inevitably leads to the temptation to spend the cash less than wisely! Responsible employers provide counselling for retrenchees, aimed at assisting them to make wise use of their retrenchment packages, but individual circumstances may dictate otherwise.

Worldwide, ratios of personal savings are declining, and not many ordinary folk are able to have saved about a year's earnings, to tide them over a sudden period of unemployment. Keeping the family housed and educated must continue, even while there's no income.

Thus all too many people find themselves approaching retirement without a guaranteed pension or medical insurance. Even where countries still provide some level of Social Security, this is under threat from greater life expectancies and rising costs.

More companies are providing Provident Funds instead of the guaranteed Pensions of the past. There is an inescapable logic in giving employees accountability for their own financial security, but turmoil in world-markets and the evils of inflation make this extremely risky in the hands of the inexperienced.. Even the smartest experts get it wrong, and poor investment decisions can destroy lifetime savings in a frighteningly short period.

What all of this says is that the probability of one being financially independent at retirement age is less than ten percent in today's terms. A sobering thought! Consider starting one of the top home business out there to supplement your retirement income.

The secret is to plan for the unexpected, or is it the inevitable? Most of us try to save for our old age, but steeply rising costs make this extremely difficult, if not impossible for the majority of people.

Give some serious thought to starting an online home business, part-time initially, so that you have a second stream of income in place when you retire. Your start-up costs are minimal, and if you can get it established well before you retire, you'll be able to supplement your retirement income, and be able to devote more time to it once you've actually retired. Now's the time to make a decision and get started