I write a blog that is upbeat and hopefully informative. It would be a mistake to not speak of the coming economic storm. I am not a financial advisor and all information should be used to spur investigation not make financial decisions. In 2008 the United States financial system was at the brink of collapse. This is not speculation, it is a fact. Since that time we have seen a uptick and market gains that are staggering. The storm that is coming is the pension system that many people will rely on for retirement. Many of these pensions are grossly underfunded and as the market goes through adjustments their volatility increases. If you are within 20 years of retirement I would suggest you start reading credible sources that address this growing problem. The following is an interesting article on the shortfall of today’s pension systems: https://pensionpulse.blogspot.com/2019/08/americas-pension-funds-fell-short-in.html. I live a very moderate life and plan to do the same for the future; others may be planning more extravagant retirements. It is possible the retirement date we are setting is a fantasy. Life has become so competitive. I wonder if we have learned any lessons from the past two decades. Some of the behaviors that grounded our financial system in 2008 have not been fixed or worse they have been ignored. I hope this brief article will encourage you to investigate your retirement systems. Do not become consumed by finances, give them the attention needed and plan for the coming storms. Preparation will be our greatest assest for the future.