Wednesday, June 12, 2013

A Subtle, Slow-Moving Disaster

This article touched my heart as I thought about all the people I know who are either in retirement right now or approaching 65 years of age within the next 7 or 8 years.  It is based on a research report from Fidelity Investments, that I have seen before, but the sheer facts of the report didn't really get through to me like this article did...Dennis

The Next American Disaster Is Coming -- Here's Your Plan

I first noticed the faint signs of the pending American disaster on one of my many trips to the Deep South. I enjoy driving, even prefer it to flying. Visiting small towns, tasting the local cuisines and hobnobbing with the locals makes any journey nearly as much fun as the destination.
What caught my attention is the growing number of elderly folks working at Starbucks, Wal-Mart, fast-food restaurants and other entry-level places of employment. I know these jobs are usually staffed by young to early middle-age people just starting out or starting over.

In fact, one McDonald's I visited did not appear to have a single worker under 70 years of age. Now, don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with continuing to work long after retirement age. However, this work should only be what you love to do and by choice.

I think it's clear that most elderly workers in fast food environments are not flipping burgers because they like the atmosphere and want to get out of the house.

I am very afraid that this trend will soon become the norm across the nation. This is the pending American retirement disaster.

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