Debt has been linked to greater health risks for older adults, but not all debts affect your health, and the exact mechanism that causes health issues isn't yet known. Still, studies show that some types of debt — specifically unsecured loans like credit-card balances — coincide with health issues, and others, typically mortgages, don't. Stacey Betts is a good example. Borrowing decisions she made years ago have, in one case, led to financial insecurity, worry and maybe even ill health while...

Editor’s note: This article is part of Lessons from Leaders, a Next Avenue initiative made possible by the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and EIX, the Entrepreneur Innovation Exchange. Wading gently into retirement — reducing hours, mentoring and generally making sure institutional knowledge is shared before you go — can benefit both workers and employers. It sounds like an easy sell. Everyone wins. Lots of older workers would like to enter retirement incrementally, but few U.S....