> In fact, a Fidelity retirement planning survey of about 2,600 adults found that 45% of "next gen" — defined as 18 to 35-year-olds — "don't see a point in saving until things return to normal."<p>That's horrible logic. When the market is down is the <i>perfect time</i> to invest, if you expect things to "return to normal": you're basically getting things at a discount. Buy low, sell high(er).<p>(Also don't try to time the market, but baby steps.)
Given the inflation rate, this boomer is having hard time seeing the point too. So I'm spending more on capital infrastructure (tools for my shop) that I know will be even more expensive soon. It's hardly a sin of a particular generation to see that saving is less smart when inflation is multiples of the savings rate.
I'm in my mid 30's. My net worth is in the seven figures and I keep it invested across real-estate, stocks, and bonds but I still have so little faith in the future that my ultimate retirement plan is to just make peace with everyone in my life and use an exit bag when the time comes (when neither I or my husband can provide for ourselves). The only exception might be if our kiddo(s) have enough extra resources that they don't mind helping us but even then I'd be hesitant to burden them unless I can help with grandchildren or something in exchange for being kept around.<p>During the good decades after WWII our society relied too heavily on growth and became totally atomized. You need money for things that you used to get just by being a member in good standing with your community or by having a large family. When the economy stops growing local communities will take time to heal to the point where e.g. the elderly are cared for by default. I will most likely fall into the in between period when there are no options so early death would be the most humane option.<p>The thought of going from an upper middle class person on easy street to an impoverished lonely old lady is just too painful and I have zero faith in the United States and probably the world in general to not go down the tube to the point where all my investments become worthless. I'll keep hedging my bets of course but... the exit bag is the only sure thing lol.