Activists participate in a rally urging the expansion of Social Security benefits in front of the White House July 13, 2015. Getty Images

Raising the retirement age is an emotional issue. For evidence, just look at proposals to move up the full retirement age for Social Security. Even the idea upsets advocates who want to see the program expanded and individuals receiving benefits. Because of that, lawmakers tend to tiptoe around the issue. Outside the U.S., French citizens have taken to the streets to protest President Emmanuel Macron's plan to overhaul the country's pension system. Among the proposed changes is raising the retirement age to 64 from 62 .

Most workers do not want to be told they have to work longer. Yet it turns out that in the U.S., many already anticipate extending their working years, according to recent research from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. A majority of workers — 54% — said they expect to stop working sometime after age 65 or never retire at all, the research found.