C
Cut-Throat
Guest
Bob Smith wrote in another thread - and it bears repeating. I have been out of the country for the last 10 days and just read this. We always seem to be wary of the future, however our past is much scarier indeed!
Whenever I'm experiencing angst about SWRs and my future financial security without work, I reflect upon this:
MY PAST
--Total financial dependence upon the whims of employers who had not the slightest interest in my well-being
--Exposure to disability that could have wiped out my earning power in an instant
--Children and a wife who were dependent upon my ability to maintain a job
--No financial cushion. At times we didn't have enough to handle even a major automobile breakdown.
--Throughout all of this we had to figure out a way to save something for retirement, buy a house, and pay for college for our kids.
MY PRESENT
--The kids are almost raised and doing very well
--Own my house free and clear
--Only three years away from a pension
--Only 10 years from SS
--Enough money saved so that my biggest worry is whether my assets will last for 30 years, or 40
The insecurity I face going forward is almost nothing compared to the risk that I (and probably most of us) have already faced in the past.