Middle-class families, how are you planning your retirement?

[City Boy]

Unless you have a house handed down to you or you're rich and can save or hit lotto. It's a lost cause.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by Questor Elfman

You may want to work into your 80's and 70's. Question is, how many employers will welcome you?

America isn't exactly a culture that respects its elders. This is exacerbated in the Bay Area where 32 is considered too old for some positions. Even though seniors have money and make and use high-tech purchases, they're not considered the target market of 18-to-49 by those 18-to-49 in "command."

Of course, when I point out that none of us is getting younger and that if we the "young" stick it to the present old and may get a taste of our own medicine (with or without public health care option), the reaction I get is "Screw karma."

In speaking to my Gen X and Gen Y colleagues, I hear the grand plan is to make the financial killing now in youth. The frequent citation is, "Do you see anyone older than us working in this high-tech haven? We can't imagine ourselves doing this past 40. We gotta make our money now."

That's the retirement plan. (No, I don't agree with it 100%, nor 10% or whatever compound interest rate yields lucratively for retirement. Oh, well, some day each of us will enjoy being an outcast, whether by young peer group or old age.)

Then you try to fool people into thinking you're 39 for the next 10 years ... thank God I didn't start going bald at 29, like many. And I'm still pretty skinny for an old fart.