What hasn’t been mentioned so far is that I a baby-boomer born 1947 (currently 63 for those in Rio Linda) and spent 2 years in the 60’s in Vietnam part of the 5 million who served there had many expectations that didn’t happen.
We expected when we got jobs there would be a pension plan to supplement social security and expected to spend 35-40 years with the same company. That was how America worked back then. I didn’t have a 401k until 1995 and expected to have a retirement from my company that laid me off. After 15 years of contributing to a 401k post 1995 I am well under what I will need to retire at age 66 only two years from now and don’t have glorious expectations of retirement.
I also lost my home equity twice so I have some but I would say that if I could have paid my house off 20 years ago I wouldn’t be in this condition today.
My wife is 60 and has been chronically ill for 5 years now and I is incapable of working. The expectation is that you will maintain your health but the rule of life is someday that will go and you never know when.
Yup. Last year I tore off the old roof and put the new one on. My wife being my only helper. This year I was crawling on the floor to get to the bathroom. Life sometimes smacks you in the mouth.
Sorry about the Mrs. Prayers for you both.
Best of luck.