[quote=flyer] . . . Everyone will get old, and the stats reveal that many people will never even make it to 50+,(and remain healthy, etc.) let alone have the resources to enjoy the balance of their lives, so, IMO, those of us in that category should be very grateful to have beat those very formidable odds.[/quote]
Yeah, I think about this all the time and feel eternally grateful for my health. I’m fully cognizant that I (or any of us) could get a “terminal” diagnosis or have a fatal accident at any time, through no fault of our own. I realize that a lot of people live for years, even decades with chronic disease and I am very grateful that I am not one of those people but have taken numerous steps over the years in an effort to prevent this from happening to me. I feel grateful that I will have the resources to live the life that I want to, however, the ability to obtain and hang onto those resources has taken a great deal of effort, patience and living within or below my means for many years.
I agree that lot of people out there within ten years of retirement age probably aren’t doing what it takes to become solvent (in the black) so they can remain solvent through their retirement years (barring any catastrophic inflation for commodities). It is likely that too many of them are still trying to give the impression that they are “keeping up the Joneses” but you can’t eat luxury vehicles, mcmansions, expensive vacations and bling. This “elephant in the room” is just really unpalatable for a lot of people so they bury their heads in the sand and hope for the best … personal responsibility be damned.
