What do people do when a serious downturn happens 5 years or so before retirement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens when they turnoff the SS spigot and make Medicare untenable so no doctors accept it?

Most Americans will starve to death, be homeless and die without medical care.

There will be massive riots before this happens. We have so many people relying on these programs for mere survival that our streets will be inundated with elderly beggars like 3rd world and our homeless tent encampments will grow into full fledged shanty towns as people will simply have nowhere to live being unable to afford their own paid off houses or rent control apartments and having no family able to take them in.

I'm from a third world country in Africa. We don't have safety nets. Our streets are indeed filled with beggars. However, we don't have riots and we are not in a civil war. People just die if they are sick and can't afford care or if they are starving and can't afford food

I'm impressed how the average American demands a basic standard of living. Anything short of that they think a riot will happen.

I do have sympathy for the poor, but not not really if you want my honest opinion. Coming from a country where the government is not there to help you forces you to find ways to survive.

Yes, the riot will happen, and we do demand basic standards of living because we are first world. It is also the reason you are here and not back in your home country, isn't it? We don't want our country to become 3rd world and will fight for it, if this idea bothers you somehow, then you are in the wrong place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens when they turnoff the SS spigot and make Medicare untenable so no doctors accept it?

Most Americans will starve to death, be homeless and die without medical care.

There will be massive riots before this happens. We have so many people relying on these programs for mere survival that our streets will be inundated with elderly beggars like 3rd world and our homeless tent encampments will grow into full fledged shanty towns as people will simply have nowhere to live being unable to afford their own paid off houses or rent control apartments and having no family able to take them in.

I'm from a third world country in Africa. We don't have safety nets. Our streets are indeed filled with beggars. However, we don't have riots and we are not in a civil war. People just die if they are sick and can't afford care or if they are starving and can't afford food

I'm impressed how the average American demands a basic standard of living. Anything short of that they think a riot will happen.

I do have sympathy for the poor, but not not really if you want my honest opinion. Coming from a country where the government is not there to help you forces you to find ways to survive.

You should be

There are a lot of us. Way more than any country in Africa and we've given lots to this country, way more than some ultra rich

We know this country has the money. Just have to make sure it doesn't spend $500 billion MORE on military

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/21/trump-hegseth-budget-military/

+100

idk, but I found the PP triggering in a few aspects. There are a lot of people in the USA working hard to survive already, we have rural poverty, urban blight, homelessness and our own "shanty towns" e.g. skid row. No, government isn't taking care of everyone And it's not the point of this conversation. It's about people who had done everything they could to provide for their lives in retirement and our system that forced us to contribute to the social safety net that people expect to exist for them in their old age because this is by design. Sudden system breakdown isn't the same as "this is the way of 3rd world and people learn to survive or die", its effect alone would be similar to the effects of major social upheavals or revolutions in an of itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of my retirement money is in a target date fund. I *hope* that this is mitigating the risk somewhat? Can anyone weigh in?

It's mitigating the risk relative to the percentage of bonds in your target date fund. But if you have too high of an allocation to bonds, you still run the risk of running out of money due to lower returns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens when they turnoff the SS spigot and make Medicare untenable so no doctors accept it?

Most Americans will starve to death, be homeless and die without medical care.

There will be massive riots before this happens. We have so many people relying on these programs for mere survival that our streets will be inundated with elderly beggars like 3rd world and our homeless tent encampments will grow into full fledged shanty towns as people will simply have nowhere to live being unable to afford their own paid off houses or rent control apartments and having no family able to take them in.

I'm from a third world country in Africa. We don't have safety nets. Our streets are indeed filled with beggars. However, we don't have riots and we are not in a civil war. People just die if they are sick and can't afford care or if they are starving and can't afford food

I'm impressed how the average American demands a basic standard of living. Anything short of that they think a riot will happen.

I do have sympathy for the poor, but not not really if you want my honest opinion. Coming from a country where the government is not there to help you forces you to find ways to survive.

Yes, the riot will happen, and we do demand basic standards of living because we are first world. It is also the reason you are here and not back in your home country, isn't it? We don't want our country to become 3rd world and will fight for it, if this idea bothers you somehow, then you are in the wrong place.

+1

It's ironic and sad that my fellow African seems to want the average American to "toughen up and deal". Yet, we are here because... we could not deal in our countries of origin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of my retirement money is in a target date fund. I *hope* that this is mitigating the risk somewhat? Can anyone weigh in?

It's mitigating the risk relative to the percentage of bonds in your target date fund. But if you have too high of an allocation to bonds, you still run the risk of running out of money due to lower returns.

Not if you adjust your withdrawal rates to account for this. If withdrawing at 3.5% with a mostly indexed fund portfolio all bur guarantees you don't run out of money, perhaps withdrawing at say, 2% would do same if your money is mostly bonds.

[Anonymous]

Our retirement goals include the ability to travel a lot, eat at nice restaurants, spoil grandchildren, leave a legacy, etc. If things go south, those things would be the first to be cut out of the budget. Life would look different, but it would still be comfortable.

If you are five years out and concerned, do everything you can now to be better prepared. Pay off debt, make any repairs, save more, get healthy, work an extra year or two, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our retirement goals include the ability to travel a lot, eat at nice restaurants, spoil grandchildren, leave a legacy, etc. If things go south, those things would be the first to be cut out of the budget. Life would look different, but it would still be comfortable.

If you are five years out and concerned, do everything you can now to be better prepared. Pay off debt, make any repairs, save more, get healthy, work an extra year or two, etc.

I don't understand the eat at nice restaurant thing to be honest. As you age taste bud change, diet become more restrictive etc.

I have noticed people have so many things they want to start doing when they finally retire, but I don't think they take into account the physical decline and other challenges that come with old age.

[Anonymous]

In my opinion there is a going to be at least one major downturn before 2030. The last time we had a major downturn was 22 years ago in 2008.

2030 is 4 years away...just saying

Unfortunately many of us have become so confident in the market to the point of defiance because we are clinging to the 70% or so VOO return over the past 5 years

[Anonymous]

nothing - just keep saving and buying. It will recover

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my opinion there is a going to be at least one major downturn before 2030. The last time we had a major downturn was 22 years ago in 2008.

2030 is 4 years away...just saying

Unfortunately many of us have become so confident in the market to the point of defiance because we are clinging to the 70% or so VOO return over the past 5 years

According to chatgpt

Total 5-Year Return: ~100.86% (Cumulative)

Wow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:nothing - just keep saving and buying. It will recover

But if it's severe don't you think it can be severe enough to the point of affecting your retirement plans if you are middle class with retirement balance say under $2 million.

And by the way have you seen what's happening with Medicare?

Many of us here may have to start planning on spending more for healthcare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our retirement goals include the ability to travel a lot, eat at nice restaurants, spoil grandchildren, leave a legacy, etc. If things go south, those things would be the first to be cut out of the budget. Life would look different, but it would still be comfortable.

If you are five years out and concerned, do everything you can now to be better prepared. Pay off debt, make any repairs, save more, get healthy, work an extra year or two, etc.

I don't understand the eat at nice restaurant thing to be honest. As you age taste bud change, diet become more restrictive etc.

I have noticed people have so many things they want to start doing when they finally retire, but I don't think they take into account the physical decline and other challenges that come with old age.

Yup, that's right 65yos shouldn't dare to dream at a nice restaurant because they probably can't get out of bed.


WTAF!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our retirement goals include the ability to travel a lot, eat at nice restaurants, spoil grandchildren, leave a legacy, etc. If things go south, those things would be the first to be cut out of the budget. Life would look different, but it would still be comfortable.

If you are five years out and concerned, do everything you can now to be better prepared. Pay off debt, make any repairs, save more, get healthy, work an extra year or two, etc.

I don't understand the eat at nice restaurant thing to be honest. As you age taste bud change, diet become more restrictive etc.

I have noticed people have so many things they want to start doing when they finally retire, but I don't think they take into account the physical decline and other challenges that come with old age.

Yup, that's right 65yos shouldn't dare to dream at a nice restaurant because they probably can't get out of bed.


WTAF!

We're mid-50's, almost ready to retire, and we have upgraded our restaurants lately. Our standard restaurants from 10 years ago are all crowded, loud, and the food isn't as good as it used to be for the price. So we've started spending more and going to steakhouses and more expensive places that tend to be quieter and easier to get into. Not ready for applesauce quite yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our retirement goals include the ability to travel a lot, eat at nice restaurants, spoil grandchildren, leave a legacy, etc. If things go south, those things would be the first to be cut out of the budget. Life would look different, but it would still be comfortable.

If you are five years out and concerned, do everything you can now to be better prepared. Pay off debt, make any repairs, save more, get healthy, work an extra year or two, etc.

I don't understand the eat at nice restaurant thing to be honest. As you age taste bud change, diet become more restrictive etc.

I have noticed people have so many things they want to start doing when they finally retire, but I don't think they take into account the physical decline and other challenges that come with old age.

Yup, that's right 65yos shouldn't dare to dream at a nice restaurant because they probably can't get out of bed.


WTAF!

We're mid-50's, almost ready to retire, and we have upgraded our restaurants lately. Our standard restaurants from 10 years ago are all crowded, loud, and the food isn't as good as it used to be for the price. So we've started spending more and going to steakhouses and more expensive places that tend to be quieter and easier to get into. Not ready for applesauce quite yet.

You should be cutting down on red meat. You are no longer going and invincible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our retirement goals include the ability to travel a lot, eat at nice restaurants, spoil grandchildren, leave a legacy, etc. If things go south, those things would be the first to be cut out of the budget. Life would look different, but it would still be comfortable.

If you are five years out and concerned, do everything you can now to be better prepared. Pay off debt, make any repairs, save more, get healthy, work an extra year or two, etc.

I don't understand the eat at nice restaurant thing to be honest. As you age taste bud change, diet become more restrictive etc.

I have noticed people have so many things they want to start doing when they finally retire, but I don't think they take into account the physical decline and other challenges that come with old age.

Yup, that's right 65yos shouldn't dare to dream at a nice restaurant because they probably can't get out of bed.


WTAF!

We're mid-50's, almost ready to retire, and we have upgraded our restaurants lately. Our standard restaurants from 10 years ago are all crowded, loud, and the food isn't as good as it used to be for the price. So we've started spending more and going to steakhouses and more expensive places that tend to be quieter and easier to get into. Not ready for applesauce quite yet.

You should be cutting down on red meat. You are no longer going and invincible.

You people are insane! First it’s ageism, then it’s the food police.
—mostly vegan