Play now. Pay later. Take stock of your future — think retirement.
Don’t wait until you are middle-age to think about your old age. I know it is easy for you children of Generation Xers to think that you are a zillion years away from social security. Social security or retirement savings are phrases that you’ve probably heard tossed around by your parents and grandparents. But if you are a forward-thinking youth and have been paying attention to the reports about social security, then you know that it is a shallow well – expected to run dry by 2036 – and may not be there when your time comes to drink from it.
Grandchilden of Bill Gates, the Kardashians, or Russell Simmons may have no worries about their retirement years. Chances are they could be enjoying a super rich lifestyle long after receiving the invitation from AARP. Even if their wealthy predecessors have deceased and unless they did something horrible enough to get disinherited collecting social security won’t be on their bucket list.
This message is not intended for the youth who by fortune, fame or birthright need not worry about spending their golden years doing anything less than being kicked back in a luxury home or sitting by the pool in a Palm Springs retirement community. But if you are one of the millions of upcoming disadvantaged youths now of legal working age, living in a paycheck-to-paycheck family or maybe even living independently, but are still in a tedious situation, you need to prepare now to avoid struggling later to keep afloat in the sea of geriatric destitution.
