Retirement Planning Is a Public Health Issue and a Personal Responsibility |
For years, retirement planning has been framed in aspirational terms. Save enough, and you can travel. Build a nest egg, and you will finally enjoy life after work.
But this framing no longer captures the stakes. Retirement readiness in America is increasingly about basic well-being and even longevity itself. Research shows that adults with low incomes and limited financial stability die nearly a decade earlier on average than those with greater wealth. This is not about luxury. It is about stress, access to healthcare, and the ability to live independently as we age.
Too many Americans are entering retirement without a plan that accounts for healthcare costs, rising longevity, market uncertainty, taxes, and evolving federal policy. The consequences of that uncertainty extend far beyond individual portfolios. They touch federal programs, the healthcare system, and the economic stability of families and communities.
In my own work at Retire Wise, an independent retirement planning and wealth management firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, I see how often uncertainty rather than scarcity shapes people's decisions. Many individuals who appear financially stable still hesitate to act, spend, or plan because they lack a clear roadmap for how their money will support them over time. Helping people think through income, healthcare, taxes, and longevity in an integrated way is less about selling a solution and more about restoring a sense of clarity and control in an increasingly unpredictable environment.
Our retirement system was never designed for the realities of the 21st century. Social Security's trust funds are projected to face depletion within the next decade unless Congress acts. Medicare costs continue to rise, and long-term care remains largely uncovered by public programs. At the same........