This goes out to the 35–50 yr. olds:
Many of us in that bracket don't really contemplate being ready for retirement. It's kinda like watered-down mortality; yeah, you know it's gonna happen, but who seriously wants to dwell on it?
Well.............at age 55, I'm here to tell you: Time flies by faster than sh!t through the proverbial goose! And in my sweetest of dreams, it ain't gon be just about cashing out at 67 for full S.S. (cuz that ain't gonna be there for my generation, let alone yours), it's more like hittin 62, MAX, and being set up where I CAN retire, but don't necessarilly do it.
So, what I've been focusing hard on these paast few years is, Roth IRAs. Traditionals. Mutuals. A N Y T H I N G to make me some paper. –Plus, stashing as much cash aside, off the grid, un taxable, un discoverable, judgement-proof gangster rolls I can rely on, should everything else go south.
My advice? Do thoust likewise. I knew some old guys working for Walmart who told me in great, bitter length how they wished they'd set themselves up better, years before. Christ. One dude was full time there—and delivering pizzas in the hood at night. He was 72!
Be prepared for retirement.