Surviving on $1,800 a month in Social Security, she died looking for a place to live

[Xolodno]

2. 401k's appealed to companies and stockholders.

Pensions were company funded and contracted out by firms to manage them, no need to contribute. But when they switched, the onus was on the employee to get a company match. And there is a lot of companies who will only go up to 3% and only half in the first five years (on the rare occasion I apply to Disney, when it comes to pay and retirement, we part ways in the interview).

Insult to injury, most don't even have a clue how save and invest for retirement. At my previous company, there are those who have worked 30+ years and of retirement age. But they can't due to mistakes made earlier and thought Social Security would be enough, plus thought the company pension would be there for them (they killed it eventually and all though they put an extra amount into the 401k for the older employee's, not much of them left, particularly with layoffs, new people won't eve see that). I could retire at 62 in 9 years, but decided to wait until 63 or 64 as I'll get bored pretty quickly and haven't figured out what I want to do on a part time basis (one uncle retired and an old colleague asked him what he was doing, he said "watching the grass grow", works for him twice a week now)

I've had people ask if they could hire me to work on thier retirement. Told them no as I probably need a few licences to do that legally and I'm busy enough as it is already. But they are watching Mad Money for thier advice. And these yokels want to privatize Social Security?! Good lord!