The issue of retirement planning has never been as important as it is today. If you're a baby boomer, then the next few years are going to be the most crucial of your life.As a baby boomer, you've already heard over and over again you're part of the largest spending group in human history. You've been responsible for more trends in the past half century than any group has before. Baby boomers are those who were born from 1946 to 1964 and yes, many are getting close to retirement age. Have you saved adequately? More importantly, have you planned for your retirement? The truth is, many baby boomers simply won't be able to retire into a life of bliss and worry-free debt. In fact, many simply won't be able to afford to stop working. But don't let this get you down.There is a revolution brewing within the retirement age group and it seems many simply don't want to stop working, not because they can't afford to but because they want to keep collecting a pay cheque. Why is this?Simply put, when someone retires, it's expected they will live out their golden years doing the things they dreamed of doing most of their lives. In actual reality, when someone suddenly stops working, a lot of meaning to their life also disappears. Meaning is one of the most important facets in human life. A person needs purpose in their lives and being a contributing member of the work force gives them this meaning.When there is a mass exodus of baby boomers from the work force from 2010 and beyond, there is going to be a lot of skills lost to industries and the simple fact is, there doesn't appear to be the same skill set ready to take it's place. Almost one third of the work force in the United states for example is aged 45 and over. That's a massive chunk of available talent and skill. Even more interesting is the fact the medium age of workers is about 40. Can we really afford to see a mass exodus of baby boomers disappear from our manufacturing and professional industries?