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so noooooooooooo i am not telling everyone to work until 70 but i am saying in response to the op's question working longer can be one of the most powerful things you can do to improve that situation.
When I read the OP, I do not see a request for assistance or information. The OP is simply asking why people without great resources do not post. Many of the replies address this question.
I have learned from you MJ in other topics, but here the focus is different.
Last edited by Windwalker2; 03-06-2015 at 10:31 AM..
"Where are the people who do not have enough to retire?"
My assumption is that they're too busy working or too sick to have an interest in participating in a retirement forum ... since retirement doesn't pertain to them. I also agree that many hesitate to post on this forum as a result of what they may have read on these threads. This seems like a place where the more "assertive/aggressive" people post, not all but enough to scare some off. Everyone has opinions but there's a lot of insensitivity going on from my observations. I'm almost 58 and hope to retire at FRA so I feel I don't have much to contribute yet. However, I get inspiration from those without much and how they cope. I know it could happen to me at any time and thankful for my good fortune, so far ...
Last edited by smpliving; 03-06-2015 at 11:51 AM..
It all comes down to the fact that those who have sufficient funds are more likely to want to share their success stories than those who are struggling financially.
"Where are the people who do not have enough to retire?"
My assumption is that they're too busy working or too sick to have an interest in participating in a retirement forum ... since retirement doesn't pertain to them. I also agree that many hesitate to post on this forum as a result of what they may have read on these threads. This seems like a place where the more "assertive/aggressive" people post, not all but enough to scare some off. Everyone has opinions but there's a lot of insensitivity going on from my observations. I'm almost 58 and hope to retire at FRA so I feel I don't have much to contribute yet. However, I get inspiration from those without much and how they cope. I know it could happen to me at any time and thankful for my good fortune, so far ...
I see it the same way. I'm only 55, wait 56 as of Tuesday, yet I'm a fairly regular poster on this board. I have stated my financial situation as being above average according to every poll I have seen for couples our age and older. Yet I have found myself defending the position that you don't need over a million dollars to retire comfortably. I say that because I firmly believe that most retirees do not have nearly that much money and I would bet most are not miserable. But I can certainly see why those who don't have a million bucks would feel a bit hopeless and move to another topic rather than stay here and argue their position.
I also understand that people who post on investment and retirement boards tend to be on the higher end of the economic scale than the general public and that also should answer the opening poster's question.
Last edited by DaveinMtAiry; 03-06-2015 at 01:48 PM..
Food for thought and a real question to the participants of this and related threads. Especially the Means Testing thread. How often do you look in the mirror and ask?
Since I was the original poster, I guess I should state my intent and thinking when I posted my original question. I was struck by the fact that statistically most Americans nearing retirement are not financially secure, however after perusing some threads all with the same thrust "Do I have enough to retire", and it quickly became apparent that it seems that most all have enough, and some have more than enough. I also noticed when someone newer ventured on about being concerned with not having enough, they were lectured to.
Now I am not talking about a 30 or 40 year old's who still have time to change their ways, I am talking about people who are close to retirement age or at retirement age. (a little late in the game) I also noted that sometimes when people stated they were ill and on SSDI, that it sometimes came with some rather unpleasant judgmental and perhaps some incorrect assumptions hurled at them, which would send anyone running for the hills. So, I did come away with feeling that sometimes these people were talked to in a manner that I think would discourage them from further participation (unless they had really thick skin like Escort Rider mentioned) So this was worthy enough to be considered Reason #1 in my mind.
Reason #2 in my mind, was the "feeling of inferiority" that many may feel when reading these posts, that they did not measure up to the rest of the crowd, and therefore only remain lurkers.
Reason #3, As a few have mentioned, those that are still able to maintain a job, are probably too busy working and don't have the free time to post. That argument has some merit, but when I thought about it more I, realized that I started on this board and another similar one while I was still working, and on other boards way before I stopped working. My reading and participation just replaced my TV watching time at night. So in giving this one more thought, I would say, it has some merit (especially for the daily posters) but not as much as might be thought.
Reason #4. This one is really a crap shoot to me. If you are approaching retirement with inadequate funds and you are still working, you may not want to be reminded of the fact that you may not be adequately prepared and so you have no interest. That one when I give it more thought, doesn't set as well with me, as I think it could have just the opposite result. I think the closer these people come to their inevitable retirement the more they want to know how others are managing, especially if they feel they don't have enough.
After reading many of the responses from the thread, I could not help observe an apparent restrained anger imploding here from newer posters (or I should say from those not heard from so much) I realized that my Reason #1 was more on target than perhaps anyone realized. I do not feel that I am biased in my feelings on this matter, as I am fortunate and have been able to save enough money even with one income and no pension, perhaps not as much Mathjack, but certainly a good enough contender.
So when I look at the subject at hand, I feel I can look at it without any resentment towards negative remarks directed at me personally, or feelings of insecurity. But that does not render me insensitive to how others are sometimes responded to. My own personal financial needs extend beyond my own needs, and does not apply to most people, so not worth discussion.
At any rate these are my observations and thoughts on the subject. I think it should be a wake up call to some people to keep in mind when responding to others. The Retirement Board should be welcoming to all those interested in discussing financial matters no matter where they fall on the charts.
Last edited by modhatter; 03-06-2015 at 12:58 PM..
An astute analysis, Northwesty. The people who are a bit timid by nature are not going to post if they think they are going to get flamed for it. And that goes beyond retirement financial questions. A couple of months ago in the Chat Thread, a newcomer was told, "Start your own thread". The newcomer answered something like "I can see I don't belong here - I'll go back to lurking". I defended and encouraged the newcomer, whose user name I've forgotten. But my encouragement was of no avail - I didn't see that person back.
Even people like me who enjoy vigorous debate and have fairly tough hides can become temporarily discouraged when things get gratuitously mean, nasty, hostile, and insulting. So often those who sling mud are saying more about themselves than about the targets of their mud. But you're right - many posters are not willing to take the chance of being dumped on.
At your suggestion I went back and re-read the "Means Testing" thread, not every word in every post, but looking at every post. And yes, there were some over-the-top comments as well as people rebutting those comments. I was happy to note that I had staked out a middle ground in that particular debate.
ER, is it possible that the title of the thread on means testing threw people off? Is it possible that some folks thought it was a test to see how mean they could be and were striving for the highest grade in the class?
Still no indication that his intent is anything but helpful. Sure, people with emotional baggage might misread things, no matter how you say something. But, that is sort of on them, isn't it? There are a lot of folks who post here to purposefully troll or aggravate others. I have never seen that from mathjak. And sometimes these threads do deviate from the OP and you just have to go with the flow.
Exactly. And IMO there's a lot of reading into posts like Mathjak's intentions that were not meant by the poster. I don't know whether that's a deliberate attempt to troll or aggrevate others, or some misplaced envy at a perception that others' lives have gone better than one's own, or refusal to accept blame for the consequences of one's own decisions or actions, or just venting one's own dissatisfaction at the way life has turned out for him/her.
For the life of me, in no way can I understand the perspective that believes when someone says they worked long and hard, lived within their means, saved money, and so on, and as a result have a comfortable (not necessarily rich) retirement, he/she is casting aspersion on others who haven't done so, for whatever reason. The person is stating their own experience, their own decisions and actions that have worked for them. Period. Those that take offense at such comments are reading into those comments an offense that was not intended by the person who made the comments.
I know it's common. I have a long-time friend who despite her many accomplishments, has maintained a big-time victim mentality where she blames her life's disappointments ( as if we don't all have some) on anything and everyone except her own decisions and actions that led her to where she is today. It seems as though self-motivation and initiative are foreign concepts ( she's always told me that I'm *lucky*, in my accomplishments), and as I see it, her perspective has hampered a lot of what she could have done if she really wanted to. She, like others of this mentality, takes offense at compliments aimed at others because according to her, complimenting someone else implies that she is lacking in that regard. So when I commented about a coworker taking such wonderful care of her aged mother, my friend saw that as a criticism of her faltering relationship with her own mother, when in truth, I hadn't even been thinking of my friend's mother when I made that comment. She tells me my "half-full" glass perspective on life ( as opposed to her "half-empty" perspective) is because I've been *lucky*- as though one doesn't have any choice in how they look at life.
All that said, obviously bad things happen to people that they couldn't have predicted, or planned for these things, things that were not as a result of bad choices or decisions. Those things could happen to anyone, the old saying, "there but for the grace of G-d...." come to mind, so looking down on these folks, blaming them for their misfortune is heartless, and I'd think most folks are glad there is a safety net that can help these folks out, and we wouldn't begrudge those truly in need. This need extends, while we're talking about retirement, folks who've outlived their savings and must rely on public assistance to provide for their needs. But regardless of what my friend believes, while one may not choose one's burdens or problems, one does have a choice in the attitudes with which he/she handles those problems. Like NoMoreSnow, and other folks in her situation who handle their lives with style and grace, they appreciate what they have around them, they're industrious and ingenious at allocating their resources to take care of their needs and to enjoy the lives they have. They aren't the folks reading criticism of their lifestyles into comments made by others.
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