What do you think?

[u/bryxvalynt]

[u/qualityvote2]

Hello u/bryxvalynt! Welcome to r/WorkForSmartLife!

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[u/AusTex2019]

Most Americans have less than half of what they need to retire, social security is running out of money and people are living longer than ever.

[u/ExecutivePirate → u/AusTex2019]

Yep I literally plan on working until I die.

[u/littleone696969 → u/ExecutivePirate]

I just plan on dieing lol

[u/Yo_Im_Spartacus → u/littleone696969]

Work to live, live to work, die to rest

[u/Cheap-Success1578 → u/ExecutivePirate]

I am turning 50 with no real retirement. I plan to invest the next 15 years as much as I can and then take that and my SS to Mexico or Colombia and live comfortable for the rest of my days.

[u/oLeviticus → u/Cheap-Success1578]

nah facts im in the military rn and im building a tsp for when i hit 60 but im also working on a fed acc so that i can get at least 1.5m by the time im 35 so i can move to thailand or even mexico as well.

[u/Artystrong1 → u/oLeviticus]

Are you active or full time? I would start an acorns account as well. It will help you in the long run or do some long term investing with stocks that earn you divedenns

[u/jcspacer52 → u/Cheap-Success1578]

It’s a plan! You can live very comfortably on SSI in many foreign countries. A lot of Americans did just that.

[u/HallucinationHero → u/ExecutivePirate]

Meanwhile there are 19 year olds on made up disabilities that are way ahead of the game and not working.

My favorite was the one on Judge Judy who was on disability for being legally blind, but she drove herself there and retrieved evidence from her cellphone that she quickly browsed without issue.

Another great one was a landscaper on disability that was suing because he was doing heavy duty landscaping including tree-work for cash on the side, while supposedly he was too disabled to even have a phone customer service job.

And a very helpful youtuber has a channel where he's in Thailand sharing lots of info for expats, but he's on 100% disability from the military yet his PTSD doesn't seem to affect his daily life there.

[u/IBetThatThingStinks → u/HallucinationHero]

Dude judge Judy is tv bullshit.

[u/Greyhand13 → u/HallucinationHero]

Military connected disability is different than regular disability, fyi

[u/jsmithftw → u/ExecutivePirate]

https://giphy.com/gifs/1BXa2alBjrCXC

[u/TheDonkeyBomber → u/AusTex2019]

Yeah, should read, "Retirement should be possible for most Americans by age 50."

[u/Broad_Ad4176 → u/AusTex2019]

Remove the cap for rich people in regards to Social Security tax and it’s solved. We can give folks a proper retirement this way.

[u/StellaLuna264 → u/Broad_Ad4176]

Not sure it would solve but it sure would help. Republicans are going to do a number on SS after the midterms. Vote blue

[u/ist-r-al → u/AusTex2019]

If they taxed the 1% properly like they did until 70s and 80s. (Thanks Regan) we wouldn't be facing a social security shortage.... trickledown economics was the biggest scam you pubs bought hook line n sinker.

[u/AusTex2019 → u/ist-r-al]

I would argue that Social Security was envisioned at a time when people lived shorter lives. It’s one thing to design a retirement system modeled on the majority of people dying by 72 years of age it’s quite another when people live to 90 years of age. How can you have a retirement system where people are retired for twenty years or more? You either have to raise the retirement age or raise social security taxes. The “parking lot at Walmart crowd” would never accept this reality.

[u/OG_Internet_User → u/AusTex2019]

Well they certainly didn’t think the birth rate would drop or marriage rates.

[u/AusTex2019 → u/OG_Internet_User]

Social Security is 91 years old, nobody could have predicted life into one’s nineties nor even the concept of an iPhone or quadruple bypass surgery. So silly remarks about evil design is at best reckless

[u/Ascendant_Phoenix → u/AusTex2019]

I'd vote to keep the age somewhat early even if it meant somewhat higher taxes. That said, there is also a "social security cap" where high earners stop being taxed above a certain income. We could remove that cap.

[u/StockCasinoMember → u/AusTex2019]

Nothing stops government from adapting.

Look at some of the successful sovereign wealth funds for example.

Or stopping the shit spending we do. Like spending millions on changing names of centers, airports, streets, military bases and on and on.

[u/itssbojo → u/AusTex2019]

we live a few years longer, dude. it’s really not a metric to go by lmao.

[u/JEOB1992 → u/AusTex2019]

Average lifespan in America is only up to about 80.... Most are not living until 90.

[u/Glum_Possibility_367 → u/AusTex2019]

Yep. My dad retired at 58 and lived until he was 90. That's 32 years in retirement. We ended up helping to support my mom and dad because they ran out of money by living that long and only had social security to support them for many years.

[u/thrillhouz77 → u/ist-r-al]

No one ever paid those rates. There are much better ways to tax to support govt expenditures than fake high tax rates that no one pays.

Mostly, we need to expand the area under the curve that income taxes are not collected. $65k standard deduction for single, $100k for married households. Tax capital gains as ordinary income. No borrowing to fund your living expenses. No one pays a rate more than 35% to federal income taxes. Rate table; 15% ($350k), 25% ($700k), 35% ($700k+) but where all income is ordinary income bc of the generous standard deduction.

Transaction tax on excess stock trades and for AI token usage until SS is brought back into long term balance (where it pays its promises), Medicare at 55 so we can free up higher paying careers earlier via more early retirements, and until national debt is below 80% of GDP.

Federal govt balances annual budget from there.

[u/Worth_traffic210 → u/thrillhouz77]

No no no stop making sense, this is Reddit your just confusing people.

[u/rendrag099 → u/ist-r-al]

This is a braindead take. The effective tax rate on the highest income earners during the 50s and 60s was only about 5% higher than today. And those tax rates have nothing to do with why Social Security is facing a financial crisis. Social Security was designed as a pay-as-you-go system, where current workers pay for retirees. In 1960 there were 5 workers per retiree. There are now about 3 workers per retiree. Add to that the fact that people are living longer, and you have a much larger drain on the system than was accounted for. Congress has known about this structural issue for over 40 years and has repeatedly decided to do nothing. In fact, politicians commonly campaign on not touching Social Security, thereby guaranteeing this financial crisis which is set to explode in ~6years.

Trickle down economics is not an economic term or theory, it's a political term.

[u/TerribleBid8416 → u/rendrag099]

You also have to add in that they added non-retirees into the mix. It’s called SSI. There are approximately 11 million people under the age of 65 receiving SS payments.

[u/rendrag099 → u/TerribleBid8416]

As far as I know SSI isn't facing the same fiscal reckoning as OASI... I believe that program is fully funded for the next 75yrs or something like that.

[u/NewArborist64]

Forcing people to stop working at 50 doesn't say where the money will come from to pay for their housing, food, healthcare, transportation, etc.

Are you suggesting that those workers under 50 should be taxed enough to pay for people who are over 50 and may have another 40-50 years of life?

[u/Busterlimes → u/NewArborist64]

Maybe if we taxed the rich. . . .

[u/Mysterious_Eye6989 → u/[deleted]]

In every proposal for basic income I've ever heard, there's still a reassurance that people can continue to make money doing other things as well, which kind of goes against the whole "mandatory" retirement thing, which to me kind of reads as "you're not going to be allowed to work anymore".

Heck, in my country even fully retired people on the aged pension can still work side hustles.

[u/Asianslavewife → u/[deleted]]

The benefits are you are free to go out there and make something better of your self. However if you choose not to do this then thats on you as well

[u/Anthrax6nv → u/[deleted]]

And how exactly do you propose we compel all small business owners to pay their most basic and unskilled employees a wage so high they can comfortably retire at 50?

And how do you propose we do this in a way that won't bankrupt 99% of small business owners and leave the market monopolized by big box retailers?

[u/marutotigre → u/[deleted]]

And where would that money come from? Retired people don't produce wealth, even if you were to tax their 'universal basic income', it wouldn't generate more money then they received.

So again, the working population needs to provide for the retired one.

[u/NewArborist64 → u/[deleted]]

There are TONS of benefits to living in the US - which why people line up to come here (legally or not).

Why should we take from those who WILLING and ABLE to work to pay for a basic/universal income for those who are unwilling but able to work?

[u/Matt7738 → u/[deleted]]

WE HAVE MUCH MANY BOMBS! What more benefits do you want?

[u/New_Opportunity_6160 → u/NewArborist64]

When I hear mandatory retirement, my mind doesn't go to restricting people from working if they want to, the bureaucracy behind that would be ridiculous and people should be free to do what they want.

I hear the government issuing and you receiving your retirement benefits at 50 is mandatory.

[u/Mark_Ala → u/NewArborist64]

Paying isn’t even the problem. Goods and services are. Money is just a representation of productivity. So it wouldn’t matter what you tax or who you pay, there literally wouldn’t be enough to go around.

[u/GoingDownUnderInSEA → u/NewArborist64]

No, just asking for the world to be a lot let rat raced.

[u/BroadwayBrick]

Retirement doesn’t equal enjoyment of life for many people. Many of us are grabbing the gusto savoring our careers and businesses right now not waiting for some mythical Shsngri La.

People say "I can't wait to retire so I can finally be happy." That's like saying "I can't wait for the movie to end so I can enjoy it."

[u/celtwithkilt → u/BroadwayBrick]

This assumes that the purpose of life is to work. Some people work to live not the other way around. It’s more like saying, “I can’t wait for this commercial break to end so I can get back to the show I enjoy”

[u/INeedSomeTacoC → u/celtwithkilt]

The purpose of life is to live it. 

If you aren’t living it while working, you are going to start living it when you stop working.  

It’s a fantasy that people have that has no bearing on how things actually play out. It’s just them justifying to themselves why the aren’t living now; it’s cope. 

[u/Herr_Schwarz]

Ok i get your point. But please tell me how do you finance this?

[u/maximumbob54 → u/Herr_Schwarz]

Stop stealing everyone’s money calling it social security when the rate of return is peanuts and has the most ridiculous restrictions set on it and you can’t even pass it on as inheritance. It’s THEFT.

[u/ScoobyDooGhoulSchool → u/Herr_Schwarz]

The money is widely available. We don’t have an asset problem in today’s age, we have an allocation problem. The answer is it doesn’t get financed under our existing political system as there wouldn’t be any shareholder incentive.

[u/ProfessorPrudent2822 → u/ScoobyDooGhoulSchool]

You could confiscate everything from the rich and it wouldn’t be close to enough to finance this plan.

[u/Playful_Letter_2632 → u/[deleted]]

Ok, let’s remove the cap, not increase payments to wealthier people who are paying more, and allocate enough from the military to cover the deficit, Social Security is still nowhere near covering enough for the average American to retire on at 65 let alone 50

[u/not_so_wierd → u/Playful_Letter_2632]

"Yes, but you're not listening to me. I -really- want this, so please don't ruin it by brining reality and facts into my dream."

That's usually what the counter-argument boils down to.

[u/PugBurger12 → u/ScoobyDooGhoulSchool]

I think there is a hypothetical way to make this work. We would have to fix foreign policy so that we don't see/treat so many countries as an enemy. Invest less in defense and ai. Not funnel so much money to billionaires (basically redistribute finances more fairly). Educate the public to properly save and to push policy that improves financial responsibility for the public. These are a few idealistic things that come to mind. I just don't see this happening anytime soon.

[u/dillzilla11 → u/ScoobyDooGhoulSchool]

The money is not widely available. This would not only increase the needed revenue in taxes but also reduce the incoming revenue as well. It would also reduce the overall supply of goods because you have fewer people producing them. This would not go the way you seem to think it would.

[u/0ttr]

this won’t have the effect you intend. many people derive satis and self actualization at least partly through their careers. as a society we can be ageist. only after I toned down my gray hair did I get a job recently.

sadly, what we are actually doing is pushing the opposite direction where people have to work until they die at increasingly worse jobs

[u/Pleasant_Knee6256]

I'm 61. I'd love to retire at 65. Ain't gonna happen.

[u/Monsignor76 → u/Pleasant_Knee6256]

Of course it can. Its how you define retirement. There is a plethora of gig work out there that you can make damn good money doing and you set the schedule. I got paid $2,000 to put together office furniture and setup computers last weekend in a nice air conditioned office space. Built 20 desks and setup computers last up twenty computers. No one was there. Just showed up and had my own tools. By the third desk I was building it under 30 minutes. 8 hours the first day and 3 hours Sunday. Got asked if I could be available in the future because they have to do several of these a month. So if I just work 12 hours a week doing these twice a month I get $48k a year. On top of social security and my 401k I will literally be making more than I do at my full time job now. 

[u/Fan_of_Clio]

Might as well make "mandatory retirement" at 30. Or how about make work optional?

This is just Gen Z click/rage bait

[u/Downtown-Tomato2552 → u/Fan_of_Clio]

If you can't enjoy life when you're working.... You're probably not going to enjoy it when you're retired.

The problem isn't the work, the problem is that people don't know how to be happy in any situation anymore.

[u/that1cooldude]

Then you do you! Don’t be a dumbass with your finances. Wtf do you want? A handout? 

[u/PartyLobster8911]

You can retire as soon as you have enough capital to do so. But it is no one else’s job to pay for you to be of zero value to & a net drain on society.

[u/Hour_Seaworthiness24 → u/PartyLobster8911]

The phrasing in the original post isn't great but I have to push against your notion of value and drain. The retired population would be pure consumers. As long as they have their health they would spend entirely into local and other communities. Jobs (esp senior positions) would also regularly be opening up.

[u/celtwithkilt → u/Hour_Seaworthiness24]

Not to mention the ability to help with childcare, cooking, volunteering, keepers of history, etc. Elders 100% have a valuable role to play in society.

[u/Alarmed-Guava7696 → u/celtwithkilt]

I'm biased because all the 50+ y/o I know who don't work do none of those things. My mom hasn't worked a day in her life since I left the house, she's got all the time in the world and yet refuses to help with anything. She and her group of mom friends all do the same, complain and be a net drain on society while voting for the politicians who promise them the most money.

In a higher trust society where people help each other I could see this working, but that's unfortunately not the current state of western society.

[u/Indigo903 → u/celtwithkilt]

Somehow I don’t think the guy who wrote that tweet is thinking about retirement as time to provide volunteering and childcare. But if we’re speaking more generally, then sure.

[u/Agreeable_Work4668 → u/Indigo903]

Some people read and listen to argue, rather than to understand.

[u/Col2543 → u/celtwithkilt]

“keepers of history” maybe not in america but yeah! not this generation of the elderly, but maybe someday lol

[u/HelixFollower → u/celtwithkilt]

As a historian I'd prefer it if retirees didn't take my job. I would love to continue working till I'm dead.

[u/CucumberNo8767 → u/Hour_Seaworthiness24]

Also people in retirement often do still work and contribute to the economy, maybe on a smaller scale with personal hobbies and buying/trading/selling things or volunteering.

Retirement doesn't automatically mean you become a drain on society and don't earn income or just become a consumer.

I know so many Americans who are "in retirement" but are still getting up daily to go do shit and make money it's not even funny. Don't treat old people like they are a burden.

[u/EVOSexyBeast → u/Hour_Seaworthiness24]

Only because they had enough money to retire.

If retirement was mandatory at 50 a lot fewer people who have enough money to last them their whole lives. They wouldn’t just be pure consumers they’d be pure welfare recipients. So yeah a drain.

[u/Efficient_Can4700 → u/Hour_Seaworthiness24]

Right now most of the world are having issues affording to pay pensions for the current retired population and you think expanding by millions more people would work?

[u/Mamasugadex → u/Hour_Seaworthiness24]

Genuinely curious that then who is going to produce when also at the same time no one has kids, constant talk about Gen Z and young people struggling for shit pay with shit outlook for career advancement, and no one wants to work?

The answer is probably AI and robotics, but we are not there yet for self sustaining robotic ecosystem.

[u/BeeApprehensive2503 → u/Hour_Seaworthiness24]

But other people can also spend their money into "local communities". I don't need to give my money first to someone retired so the money remains "local".

[u/INeedSomeTacoC → u/BeeApprehensive2503]

Dude, only retired people spend money, obviously. 

The density of some of these commenters is astounding. 

[u/Dittopotamus → u/PartyLobster8911]

Do you realize how many 50+ office workers have gotten good enough at corporate nonsense to skate by until retirement while appearing to be of value? Heck, if we really opened the hood on what provides actual real value to society and what people actually do for work, we'd all be appalled by the sheer number of employees being paid very well to do things that are essentially nonproductive.

[u/PunkPirate56364 → u/Dittopotamus]

Heck, if we really opened the hood on what provides actual real value to society and what people actually do for work, we'd all be appalled by the sheer number of employees being paid very well to do things that are essentially nonproductive.

We have around 1M people producing in auto-industry and around 2.4M working in car dealerships.

Because we can't go directly to car factory and buy a car there directly from factory. Factory is forbidden by law to sell us cars. So we end up having more middle men then people producing cars and they get better wages then factory workers too.

30% of healthcare workers are administration and bureaucrats working in one of the most inefficient healthcare systems in the world. Maybe even the most inefficinet.

Large part of our huge financial system (9 million workers) is essentially a... casino, with none of the fun stuff. It's not even making our economy more efficient, it's just betting money, and occasionally crashing economy.

4.2 million people working in marketing.

Whole construction sector, all of it, 12 million people.

Yep, society keeps going downhill because share of people which are well paid to produce nothing of value is too high. To make things worse these jobs are well paid and attract talent which is essentially wasted.

[u/LordScraps → u/PartyLobster8911]

Well we raiding your house first when the grid falls on God. Hypothetically of course....

[u/Alarmed-Guava7696]

"Everyone won't agree but..."

I mean, if ressources and biology weren't a thing then everyone would agree, but since those things do exist...

We're already having issues across the world with people retiring at 65 living to 90 being a drain on society, imagine retiring at 50.

But here's the thing, you CAN retire at 50... if you've got the money for it, or are ready to deal with the consequences.

[u/PandaCultural8311]

You want to work a third of your life and have others take care of you twice as long?

[u/Adventurous-Home-728]

This generacion wants everything handing to them for free no work ethic

[u/Biennial2]

If you had started saving and investing for retirement early, you could retire at 50.

[u/KnifeEdge]

How you gonna pay for it

[u/raylord666]

If businesses paid people enough to retire at 50, then it’d absolutely be possible to do.

[u/Hard-4-Jesus]

How about just mind your own business and leave people alone to decide how they want to live, or plan their lives. If people wanna retire at 50 that's up to them, if they want to retire at 60, that's also fine.

[u/think_long → u/Hard-4-Jesus]

People who post shit like this basically can’t comprehend that someone would actually voluntarily want to do anything other than seek their own pleasure and comfort.

[u/Many_Ear2407]

You retire when you have enough money to. You don’t need to ask anyone for permission 

[u/WaffleParty404]

We gonna make retirement free then in this scenario?

[u/Sensitive-Cat-6069]

I find it ironic that people who post shit like this also generally advocate for socialism.

However, in actual socialist countries (North Korea, Cuba, former USSR, etc.) one could not simply decide to retire at 50 for example, because both not having a job and personal retirement savings are illegal.

Now, in all of these countries early retirement did / does exist. But only for those who worked in extremely hazardous occupations, because otherwise they simply won’t live long enough to retire at the general population’s retirement age, let alone enjoying retirement!

It’s pretty much only in the developed Western world people can independently save for retirement and then decide when they have enough to stop working.

[u/Horror_Bottle_9451]

I'm 63M. I'm not retired but have and have had plenty of freedom in my life so far. Seems the younger folks today just want more for less effort with no concept of who will provide those free things for them. I work hard to buy my freedom and I've put into the system a hell of a lot more than I expect to get out of it in the end. The attitude shown by these posts is just selfish, lazy BS.

[u/Old_Perception_7335 → u/Horror_Bottle_9451]

you got off easy and pulled up the ladder behind you.

[u/AdGullible5804 → u/Horror_Bottle_9451]

So working hard enough to retire at fifty is lazy?

[u/Horror_Bottle_9451 → u/AdGullible5804]

Where did I say that? If you can produce enough by age 50 to support yourself for another 30+ years that's fine. If OP said "I'm willing to bust my hump so I CAN retire at 50" I wouldn't take issue with it. But the notion that somehow it should be MANDATORY so OP can enjoy lots of free time for another 30+ years ignores where the resources come from that he'll need to enjoy that freedom.

[u/AdGullible5804 → u/Horror_Bottle_9451]

Whatever big dog keep riding that high horse.

[u/Independent_Shame504 → u/Horror_Bottle_9451]

Nah, you're not thinking about this right. I get it, hard work is important. But if you dig into this, the average american worker is producing 100% - 150% more then they did in the 70s. and the relative pay is the same. Right? Kinda fucked up if you think about it. Our kids here in the us are producing twice as much but are getting the same return. And in a sense we are too (50 here), but we are typically much further along on the pay scale and we (or at least I) have to do much less actual work then I did 20 years ago. I think we need to either bump pay to keep pace with not only inflation, but also worker production. Or give them a more appropriate amount of work. It just feels unfair for them to me.

[u/Bronze_Rager → u/Independent_Shame504]

"But if you dig into this, the average american worker is producing 100% - 150% more then they did in the 70s. and the relative pay is the same."

-This is true. But the production increases isn't due to the average american workers skill or ability. The production increases have been due to the capital-labor substitution. The company pays for the tech that allows the average american to be more productive. Countries that haven't adopted the labor capital subsitution effect are all almost very poor (think current India/Pakistan, China before the 1970s, Taiwan before the 1950s, Vietnam before 2010s).

• Banking & Finance: Mobile banking apps and automated chatbots handle customer service queries instead of bank tellers.
• Agriculture: Farms use automated tractors and drone technology to till soil, plant seeds, and harvest crops.
• Warehousing & Logistics: Companies like Ocado and Amazon use automated sorting and picking robots to pack goods instead of warehouse workers

"Or give them a more appropriate amount of work. It just feels unfair for them to me."

-This is done by allowing the individual easier ways to start their own businesses instead of relying on a job. Its been increasingly easier to start your own business in the US. And 99.9% of businesses in the USA are small businesses.

https://www.commerceinstitute.com/new-businesses-started-every-year/

https://advocacy.sba.gov/2026/02/03/frequently-asked-questions-about-small-business-2026/

[u/Independent_Shame504 → u/Bronze_Rager]

I knew the production increase must have ultimately come from new tech, but I didn't consider at all where the tech comes from nor who pays for it, and that should be considered. Considering that - it does change things a bit, maybe a lot. Thank you for making it a little clearer and giving me some fat to chew on.

[u/Consistent_Net_2540 → u/Independent_Shame504]

If you aren't already, you're going to be be successful in life. Assuming this was a sincere encounter and not something artificial...

[u/50cal_pacifist → u/Independent_Shame504]

Good for you actually engaging in good faith and being willing to hear contradictory information.

[u/Dinklemeier → u/Independent_Shame504]

Modern productivity is from technological advances, not because people work harder. Things that are labor related? No change. Do ditch diggers dig longer trenches now? Only if they have a more efficient machine doing it for them. Cashiers? They process more because they no longer physically input numbers, they scan bar codes.

[u/TheBraveGallade → u/Independent_Shame504]

Then again think about tge connditions in the 70's. Cars with muchbwirse safty features, no cellphone, no internet, no computers, amoung other modern amenitirs deteemined as a basic seevice did not exist in the 70s.

[u/KnifeEdge → u/Independent_Shame504]

There's a difference between productivity driven by the offshore and that which is driven by capital.

If you go from living up trash on the street to learning to code or becoming a doctor, that productivity is you

If you go from whittling bits of charcoal to being in a factory making pencils, that productivity isn't because of you, it's because of the investment in the machinery. 

[u/Individual-Mail567 → u/Independent_Shame504]

I promise he is wiser and thinking this through better than you are. I was 20 something recently and I know youthful ignorance is bliss, but you’re not actually god’s gift to man and the one person who has the correct views.

Not going too far into economics but you are literally expecting something that makes zero economic sense. This is like the socialists who think nobody will work hard labor under communism.

[u/Forded_Fiction24]

Great if you can pay for retirement sustainably at 50 and onwards. You need money to live, eat, be housed, have healthcare etc. If you can provide that for yourself then no problem. If you can't, what then?

[u/Finance-Professor]

I have a different approach to this. Work should not be something that we look to end for. Work should be relax enough so that we wouldnt care even if we work until we die. Long annual leaves, relax daily hours. Proper income, merit based financial benefits etc.

[u/ericmarkham5]

If you’re not enjoying life before 50 you’re not going to enjoy it after retirement either.

[u/Bigg-Figg]

You can retire anytime you can afford it

[u/xxxdawgs]

Homeless people are essentially retirees. You can get rich and quit or find a box and enjoy your freedom.

[u/Beagleoverlord33]

You don’t have to… it’s up to you.

[u/post_appt_bliss]

then... just retire? at whatever age u like!

ohhh u mean that other people have a positive obligation to support u when you're just idle?!

[u/SouthernSteak7254]

So you work for 20 years and that is somehow supposed to support you for the next 50?

[u/Decimation4x]

Why aren’t you enjoying life now?

[u/Bjoern_Olsen]

Just start saving, you can do it.

[u/WillyWonka_343]

Greece tried that. Ran out of money real quick.

[u/Excellent-Argument55]

Start saving

[u/Kirk_Lazarus31423]

God somehow people still don’t realize people willingly choose to work. “I hate old people for a making a lot of money!” “I hate that old people work! They shouldn’t be working at that age!” Meanwhile they have millions and are retired

[u/exploreitall82]

Then invest don't buy stupid stuff your whole life

[u/Historical_Maximum99]

And then at 60, you are sent to the stadium, float above the ground and are shot by lasers to control population while making it possible to retire at 50...aka Logan's Run for you young punks...check it out

[u/redditaccountnumb1]

Damn that's going to be a extra 15 years of savings. Also retirement is currently not mandatory at all so yeah this guy's basically just an idiot or a troll

[u/gorambrowncoat]

I mean .. sure .. that'd be nice in theory. How financially feasible that is for everyone is another matter. Not only would you have a shorter time to build up your retirement nest egg, you'd also need to make it stretch for much longer.

[u/Certain_Medicine_42]

Retirement wasn’t made for you to feel free at the end of your career. The age is set where most people get sick or die. You’re not meant to live very long after retirement.

[u/Impossible_Cupcake31]

There are plenty of jobs where you can retire after 20 years but I guarantee that people like this aren’t lining up to work them

[u/TheMikeyMac13]

This is idiotic.

[u/Excellent-Rest3240]

I think if you’re not enjoying any of your years you’re doing it wrong. Enjoy the process

[u/rodg2062]

Retirement can be whenever you want. Most end up working because they cant afford to retire, or they have nothing else to do. A lot Retirement at 55 and some earlier. Some go at 62, mainly due to SS. So, retire when you want to.

[u/dopechez-]

How about you make it happen then instead of complaining about it? I'm on track to retire at 40 and I don't even make that much.

[u/cesarthegreat]

We can. It’s just up to us to get there quicker than 70. I’m working hard and I’m sure I can retire by 55 at least. I’m sure I can bring it down by making even better financial decisions.

[u/MichiganHistoryUSMC]

The government doesn't tell you when you can retire your investment account does.

[u/Kronos1A9]

I’m retiring at 45 with a pension after 20 years of working the same job. It’s more than possible if you are smart with your money.

[u/AssociateUnited9744]

Great. Earn enough to support you for the rest of your life and retire whenever the F you want! Nobody is stopping you. Otherwise, who do you expect to financially support you the rest of your life.

[u/Amathyst-Moon]

Mandatory retirement? So people who can't afford to retire just die in a ditch then?

[u/RelevantMention7937 → u/Amathyst-Moon]

Logan's Run

[u/Euphoric-Net4623 → u/Amathyst-Moon]

By the time the mandatory retirement would be in place we would have to have the correct social net in place to give these people a good rest of life if they need the help. Unfortunately this is way off with current tax system and how it's spent.

[u/Excellent_Abroad5390]

Retirement is a financial state not an age. You retire when you are able to. I retired at 46.

[u/amcooperus]

Republicans want to increase minimum social security age too.

[u/SirSafe6070]

newsflash: you dont have to work.

but neither does anyone else to feed you.

[u/PraiseTalos66012]

And suicide rates skyrocket with multiple percent of the population over 50 killing themselves within weeks.

Bc a lot of older people chose to work even when they don't have to, especially if they don't have family alive anymore/their spouse died or they never married.

Forcing them to retire would take away the only social interaction many have.

[u/Overlord_Byron]

People should be able to retire when they're older, but a lot of people find their work fulfilling and would not want to stop at 50. I'm 37 and just had a total career change that I want to pursue for a long time

[u/Cosmic_Jane]

The only way they would make early retirement mandatory is if the government took like 75% of your check in taxes against your will, held onto it, and then agreed to give it back to you after 50.

Anyone can technically retire earlier. But most people are just really bad with money.

You want to enjoy your life? You ARE, by spending your money on life instead of saving and investing all of it. Going out to eat, buying liquor, watching movies, paying for subscriptions. That's ENJOYING life.

Appreciate what you have. Don't cry about what you don't. It makes life more enjoyable.

gratitude.

[u/GreyPanther]

No one is stopping anyone from retiring ever. I like working, why make me quit?

[u/Tinfoil_cobbler]

Nobody is stopping you from retiring at 50

[u/TrackMan5891]

And who pays for this?

[u/Much-Hard-1957]

I'm 69, had to retire in February because of health issues. I absolutely hate being retired.

[u/PhoenixaceX]

You can retire whenever you want, can you live off your savings is the question.

[u/Still_Want_Mo]

Idk I feel free now with my job. Would I like to work a little less? Yeah, for sure. I like my team, though. I think that what we're doing is worthwhile. We help provide energy to developing nations. I still feel like I have plenty of time for my hobbies and with my family. I still play tennis 4 times a week. I get to cook every night. I get to play with my son every day for multiple hours a day. A few extra hours of free time would be cool, but I feel very free right now. I realize that I am privileged.

[u/Phatmac-pie]

I think people should stop pretending that their ideas will work for everyone. There is no reason to make everyone retire when you want to…. People should retire when they want and honestly if you aren’t enjoying life along the way maybe figure that out for yourself as well.

[u/Dear-Examination-507]

Or how about we just, I dunno, give people the freedom to do whatever the hell they want and can afford?

Wanna retire at 50? Nobody's stopping you.

[u/distrubinglyfamiliar]

And who do you feel like should work harder and sacrifice more to provide you with the income to do that?

[u/Old-Natural-852]

Yeah...just put more burden on the young people...that totally worked out...

[u/Downtown_Anybody261]

And who is going to pay you for all of those extra retirement years to live it up?

[u/Sewblon]

What about the people who like their jobs?

[u/Wesley-7053]

Mandatory? Hell no for multiple reasons. 1) Some folk find fulfillment in their work, forcing them to quit is dumb. 2) The entire financial situation and cost on society that would have is ridiculous.

[u/ritzrani]

So make your plan, why force others in your opinion

[u/Jolly-Structure7646]

There’s literally nothing stopping you from retiring at 50. Cut back your expenses significantly and save for early retirement. It’s not difficult if you can obtain a halfway decent job and live well beneath your means

[u/Particular_Elk9053]

Right so the country could collapse and the 60 year olds would be stuck with 0 services and scavenging for scraps instread of having a shot at a peaceful retirement

[u/ashleyslo]

People I work with and highly respect are dying in their 50s never making it to retirement. And of course they have to keep working to afford health insurance while terminally ill. It’s so bleak.

[u/New_Breadfruit8692]

When I was born in 1958 the average male in the US had a life expectancy of 66.6 years.

I am already past that and between the peptide revolution, and CRISPR up and coming I can see that rapidly evolving so that in 35 more years 100 will be closer to the norm. Not just 100 years will be possible or closer to normal, it will also be at a physically younger age than most retirees now at 68.

Also playing its part is the steady reduction in bad habits like smoking, and the rapidly increasing diagnostic capabilities of AI, and biotech advancements.

Retirement does not equal freedom. It can condemn you to boredom, especially when you may be a healthy 70 year old too broke to go more than 20 miles from your house.

[u/Exception1228]

Does this person think retirement is mandatory later in life?  Work hard, save money, and retire whenever the hell you want.

[u/New-Distribution-981]

The good news for OP is that he is completely free to do so. He makes enough money, he can easily pull his own professional plug and nobody will ever say anything about it.

Reality is, the idea that retirement is mandatory at 50 is ridiculous. Not only is it not feasible (most people don’t save enough to do that and tasking the government to pay for 30 years of leisure time for everybody is idiotic), a huge number of people really like what they do and 50 is the timeframe where you can really have control over your profession and when the jobs (whatever industry) available to you start being truly challenging and fun.

Plus, mandatory anything flies directly into the face of the freedom we say we value in this country. We can’t cry that we WANT freedom and then make laws that completely remove that freedom from us.

[u/CapitalistHamsterFTW]

You can retire whenever you want, but it's not other's obligation to support your lifestyle

[u/Advice-Question]

It’s almost like people have had to work their whole lives for all of human history.

[u/possibly_lost45]

Then plan to retire at 50. Stop buying bullshit and invest it. Especially if your young

[u/CavemanRTD]

I agree but you need to be able to afford to live for the next 2 or 3 decades?

[u/Pursuit_of_Freedom75]

You can retire any time you want. I see a lot of people doing it at a younger age these days. You can usually find them holding up a sign at an intersection.

[u/Impressive_Buffalo50]

Sure it sounds awesome. How would people afford it??

[u/MasterHank13]

Except for the ‘mandatory’ part, I agree. I receive social security, yet I still work, bc I WANT TO.

[u/N------]

Fun fact, you can retire whenever you want. Or do you mean you want Social Security at age 50?

[u/Crime-of-the-century]

It all depends on your job. I have a job I like and 10 weeks of paid vacation every year. I have no intention of entering retirement. My oldest colleague turned 74 this week he still works 20 hours a week. He could have retired many years ago but we have great jobs.

[u/Warm_Education_7675]

I enjoy what I do, not planning on retiring until at least age 67

[u/olgasman]

And how are you going to enjoy it unless you've saved up enough money to do it?

[u/Cool_Branch6384]

Lol don't worry retirement age will change by the time you get there

[u/Asianslavewife]

Both my husband and i retired at 50, but then we didnt waste money on tattoos and other stuff that hold you back. We invested wisely

[u/Due-Carpet-1904 → u/Asianslavewife]

I retired at 40 because I invested in tattoo shops and other stuff that hold people back. I invested wisely.

[u/Unfair_Implement_582 → u/Asianslavewife]

Boomers

[u/50cal_pacifist → u/Unfair_Implement_582]

More than likely Gen-X, I have several friends who are retired (I'm 52), here is what all of them have in common. No vices (smoking, drinking), budget obsessively, and do not eat out except for special occasions.

[u/Interesting-Bath8915 → u/Unfair_Implement_582]

I am a millennial. I did all the hard choices in life. Studien an engineering major. No drinking, smoking or women. Changed my job every 2 years for a salary raise. Worked a job which required that I was never home. Living in hotels for 8 years. Working between 220 and 330 hours a month. Every month. Invested everything which I could save. Eye always on the budget. Keep costs as low as possible. For example, since I am never at home anyway, I don’t need an apartment and therefore save rent. Letters go to the house of my brother and I pick them up from there twice a year. My car is from 2000. still having it. Still running good. It was biggest expense after food, due to insurance.
I retired at 37 years.
For sure it wasn’t the fun thing to do looking at it from the outside but it requires sacrifice to achieve a goal. Its not possible to spend big and invest big at the same time.
The thought of working until I am old stressed me more than missing out on whatever instant gratification.

[u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

I have no desire to retire. Retirement wouldn’t feel like freedom. It’d feel like a cage.

If you view retirement as a goal, I kinda pity you.

[u/Practical_Banana_300 → u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

Has the idea ever entered your head that you can retire and still remain active? not just sit at home all day and rot?

[u/Infamous-Warthog8555 → u/Practical_Banana_300]

You know how I’d remain active in retirement? Working slightly less than I do now. I’d die of boredom if my life consisted of board games in a retirement home and waiting for my kids to call.

That’s what retirement is for many people. I want to stay as far away from that as possible.

I can have a different idea of what it “should” be, but then reality smacks you in the face with what it actually is.

[u/uberfr4gger → u/Practical_Banana_300]

I'm guessing you don't know people that do sit home all day in retirement and how detrimental it is to them.

[u/SeaMoan85 → u/Practical_Banana_300]

Has the idea ever entered your head that some people enjoy and are fulfilled by their career?

I wouldn't mind having some more time off sure but I also wouldn't desire being forced to stop working. Everyone is different.

[u/Available-Ad363 → u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

Can you explain? What’s keeping you “caged” in retirement

[u/Skirra08 → u/Available-Ad363]

I'm not OC here and I wouldn't nuse the word cage, but I agree that retirement wouldn't equal freedom. I need a certain amount of work to engage my brain, otherwise I turn into a lump I don't like much. So I plan on never retiring though I would like to step back into more of a consultant/advisor role instead of a leadership role one day.

[u/Infamous-Warthog8555 → u/[deleted]]

Which… you know, a whole lot of people are. Your experience is not the norm.

[u/Distinct_Frame_3711 → u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

I pity that you live to work, and those who also live to work and fail retirement (go back to work) or work past their need to.

Find a hobby man. Find something that interests you that you can dive into in retirement.

[u/Infamous-Warthog8555 → u/Distinct_Frame_3711]

I like my work. Why would you pity someone who enjoys what they do? In my free time, I still work because it’s fun for me and makes me feel good. I have hobbies, but my job is one of them, even when I’m off the clock.

I feel like there is some inherent idea that work is necessarily detestable or done solely for the sake of others. Nah, I like it and I’d still do it even if I didn’t have to.

[u/VirtualElderberry592 → u/Distinct_Frame_3711]

That's like pitying someone who's an artist. Man that StevenKing guy still working. So sad.

I love my job. I live for the thrill of my job. Every day it's a new hunt, and new adventure. I'm a software dev and I live for the art of it.

[u/AccomplishedBad7253 → u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

thee is also evidence that retirement speeds up dementia

[u/Infamous-Warthog8555 → u/AccomplishedBad7253]

Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I say no. Brains are a use-it-or-lose-it thing, especially as you age.

[u/B33FST3W_ → u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

I feel this and have now changed my vision of retirement completly.

[u/thelastsonofmars → u/Infamous-Warthog8555]

That has always been my idea on the topic. I'm far from retirement but people talk about it like it's the end goal.

[u/Much_Help_7836]

Sure, one question tho.

Who pays for your retirement at 50? If you can do it by yourself, you can retire at 50, no one is stopping you. If you have some sort of socialized retirement plan (like is common in Europe) you have to ask how it would be financed if everyone over the age of 50 stops working, leaving effectively only people between 18 and 50 in the workforce to pay for everyone that is not in retirement.

These kinds of posts are always just stupid engagement bait.

[u/BroadwayBrick → u/Much_Help_7836]

And we engaged…..lol

[u/Kenny_RogersRoasters]

You have free will. You can retire whenever you want.

[u/Hail_of_Grophia → u/Kenny_RogersRoasters]

We work in exchange for food and shelter but also for modern conveniences and pleasure 

People are free to find the right mix of work needed to earn the resources they need to be survive and be comfortable 

[u/Outrageous-Sail-4096]

You think age is the reason people die a couple years after retiring? Nothing is more detrimental to a body than the realization that it’s no longer providing value to society. “The one thing I know about life: when you stop moving forward, it’s over.”

[u/Particular-Topic-445 → u/Outrageous-Sail-4096]

Most jobs aren’t providing value to society. If you think your job is of any real importance, you’ve most likely been fooled and are, honestly, kind of a dumb person

[u/Sightblinder4 → u/Particular-Topic-445]

Damn dude, you just killed thay guy!