We’re Living a Retirement Crisis—Here’s What I’ve Seen
What Exactly Is the “Retirement Crisis”?
When economists talk about a crisis, they usually point to hard numbers. I’ve watched those numbers pile up for years, and they read like warning lights on a dashboard:
– Median 401(k) balance for Americans age 55-64: $87,571 — barely two years of modest living expenses.
– Only 15 % of private-sector workers still have a traditional pension.
– 4.1 million people turn 65 every year through 2027 — about 11,200 a day.
– The Social Security trust fund is on pace to run dry in 2033, after which incoming revenue covers 77 % of promised benefits.
– A private-room nursing-home stay now averages $127,750 a year.
– Nearly three-quarters of Americans (73 %) say inflation has them more worried about retirement.
– Market expectations show the VIX hovering around 20 — well above the calm 2010s average.
– Older adults lost an estimated $7.1 billion to fraud in 2023.
– Surveys find roughly a quarter of workers over 50 are delaying or reconsidering retirement because they feel squeezed by rapid tech change and economic uncertainty.
Taken one by one, each stat is a red flag. Taken together, they describe a perfect storm.
How I Came to See the Storm Up Close
2010 – 2014
My career began in cubicles and call sheets — first dialing prospects for independent advisors in Austin, then learning the ropes at Edward Jones, Merrill Lynch, and Charles Schwab. Corporate slide decks told me million-dollar clients were everywhere.
2015 – 2018
Real life said otherwise.
Teachers with $350k, firefighters with $420k, nurses with $295k — families who had done everything “right” but still asked, “Will this last?” I started tracking every case in a growing spreadsheet. Nights were spent combing Vanguard’s How America Saves reports, Bureau of Labor Statistics tables, and Social Security trustee summaries.
2019 – 2021
Volatility spiked during COVID, then refused to fall back to pre-pandemic lows. Initial Zoom consults became longer conversations about inflation, layoffs, and parents moving in. Each headline confirmed the spreadsheet; each spreadsheet cell matched another kitchen-table story.
2022
The Federal Trade Commission reported billions lost to senior scams. At the same time, “Peak-65” headlines showed 11,000 Boomers crossing the retirement line every single day. My notes filled with verses like Psalm 90:12 — “Teach us to number our days.” Prayer turned raw data into conviction.
2023 – 2025
Technology layoffs and AI rollouts pushed seasoned managers to accept severance earlier than planned. Social Security’s depletion date crept closer. Market pundits began calling elevated volatility “the new normal.” My spreadsheet was no longer an outlier; it was the story of middle America.
I never had one lightning-bolt epiphany — just years of charts, prayers, and conversations stacking into a picture too clear to ignore.
Who’s Caught in the Middle?
– Savers with $300k – $3 million. Too much to feel carefree, not enough to feel bulletproof.
– No pension safety net. A paycheck has to come from personal savings + Social Security, nothing more.
– Within ten years of retirement—or already there. Not much runway left for “do-over” strategies.
– Higher distribution needs. Mortgage, healthcare, aging parents, maybe adult kids — 4 % sometimes isn’t enough.
– A preference for lower volatility. After two decades of market whiplash, they’d rather sleep than chase every last basis point.
These are the people most exposed when pensions vanish, markets swing harder, and living costs refuse to cooperate. They’re also the people I feel called—truly called—to serve.
Why I’m Sharing All of This
Because crises hide in plain sight until someone names them out loud.
I’ve spent the better part of a decade gathering evidence, wrestling with spreadsheets, and praying for wisdom and purpose. The result is a deep conviction:
The middle-majority retiree is standing on shifting ground — and time is short to steady the footing.
That’s the work ahead of me every day.
If this resonates with the questions keeping you up at night, know that you’re not alone, and know that I’m committed — through research, conversation, and faith-guided purpose — to help shoulder the weight now and in the years to come.
