Why pandemic forced baby boomers to rethink retirement plans

For many Americans, one result of the pandemic is a changing calculus for retirement. Some boomers are exiting careers sooner than they expected – yet other workers face a tougher climb to be financially ready.

When she turned 65, Wendy Northcross knew she wasn’t ready to retire. When the coronavirus hit a year later, she told the board of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce that she’d stay on as CEO until the pandemic was over.

Then came the 20-hour workdays as local business owners flooded in, looking for ways to...