It’s me again. I retired from federal service last year and my annuity is on the small side, contrary to popular belief. I tap into my TSP (read 401k) to supplement it and eye the market warily. Every pay raise I upped the % of my salary going towards my TSP. Full disclosure—I worked in DoD and yes, I was paid well. I also had to go without a raise for three years while property taxes and property insurance rose. I refinanced my mortgage to save some money. Last year as the DOGE buzzsaw started its dirty work, I was offered an early retirement. They threatened to fire the probationary employees. I saw the writing on the wall and said like a true Gen Xer—“fuck this shit” and took the early out. I’m glad I did considering the shit show in progress. And by the looks of it, it was primarily Gen Xers who took the early outs and DRPs. Granted, my parents have passed on and I have no children, but living on a single annuity and 401k is daunting. I’m still a few years out from collecting Social Security and word in the street that the powers that be are meeting behind closed doors to fuck (read destroy it) with that too. The generations that came after us should listen to what our experiences have been. They could learn a lot!
Thank you and yes to all of this! I am Gen X and immensely bitter over the fact that we have lived through an economic downturn literally every 5 years (every other downturn is a collapse). Working in the internet (thank for calling out that we built it up - because we did), I'm hit every. single. time. I gave up on having a retirement after I saw 50% of my money literally get flushed down a toilet in 2008. I'm furious at Boomers and the late Silent Generation over what they did to the economy so we're here. Because they are all sitting pretty in retirement. Heck, some are still working and refusing to retire. Meanwhile, we got literal crumbs. So sick of this!
I'm reminded of an old WWII lament from stranded American troops in the Philippines: "We are the Battling Bastards Of Bataan,/No momma, no poppa, no Uncle Sam,/No nephews, no nieces/No shells or artillery pieces/And nobody gives a damn..."
That's where we're at, Gen X. That's where we were always headed for once our pop culture influence peaked back in 2015.
One thing I emphasize in The Late Gen X Retirement Reset is that a reset isn’t the same as starting over. A reset means adjusting strategy based on new realities — not throwing everything out. Most Gen Xers already have the foundation; they just need a new playbook. What’s one thing you’ve had to “reset” in your retirement thinking?
We were sold the biggest pile of BS AND STILL HERE. Scared every day. Hell yes, I would love to get the fuck out and give up my chair. But, I still have process documentation to complete for AI. Thank you Dana. In solidarity forever, wishing it was still 199x.
The $6,000 median for GenX women should be the headline of every one of these stories. That's the caregiving years showing up in the retirement account.
To be fair at least a smidge, some of us “grandparents” HAD to go back to work because those 401ks we didn’t get haven’t been paying us anything. Social Security isn’t cutting it for most of us. Many aren’t eating properly because of it: prescriptions or food is a crushing decision to have to make.
Believe me, we see you, but we are just as frustrated.
Where I work, most of the upper executives are over 65. Three of them are “semi retired” at 70 years old. The CEO is one of them. The replacement he hired 2 years ago is his 38 year old son-in-law…… nope! Genx definitely can’t catch a break!
I like that you talk about shit like this. Can we remenease and talk about the meat puppets and Jamiroqaui? Damn we had it good in the 90’s lol. 😆 and shows like Married with Children and Martin and Seinfeld. LinkedIn was the Yellow Pages. social media was fan clubs. and remotes. People would actually go to these things called amusement parks. Had to take it back. As far as this thank you it is well said. I just remember my first jobs at a radio station. It was definitely different.
As an elder millennial, I am 100% on team Gen X. Here with solidarity. It's the boomers that are the problem and no, I don't want to kill them.
It’s me again. I retired from federal service last year and my annuity is on the small side, contrary to popular belief. I tap into my TSP (read 401k) to supplement it and eye the market warily. Every pay raise I upped the % of my salary going towards my TSP. Full disclosure—I worked in DoD and yes, I was paid well. I also had to go without a raise for three years while property taxes and property insurance rose. I refinanced my mortgage to save some money. Last year as the DOGE buzzsaw started its dirty work, I was offered an early retirement. They threatened to fire the probationary employees. I saw the writing on the wall and said like a true Gen Xer—“fuck this shit” and took the early out. I’m glad I did considering the shit show in progress. And by the looks of it, it was primarily Gen Xers who took the early outs and DRPs. Granted, my parents have passed on and I have no children, but living on a single annuity and 401k is daunting. I’m still a few years out from collecting Social Security and word in the street that the powers that be are meeting behind closed doors to fuck (read destroy it) with that too. The generations that came after us should listen to what our experiences have been. They could learn a lot!
Thank you and yes to all of this! I am Gen X and immensely bitter over the fact that we have lived through an economic downturn literally every 5 years (every other downturn is a collapse). Working in the internet (thank for calling out that we built it up - because we did), I'm hit every. single. time. I gave up on having a retirement after I saw 50% of my money literally get flushed down a toilet in 2008. I'm furious at Boomers and the late Silent Generation over what they did to the economy so we're here. Because they are all sitting pretty in retirement. Heck, some are still working and refusing to retire. Meanwhile, we got literal crumbs. So sick of this!
Yep... thank you.
They say old people are out of touch.
I'm reminded of an old WWII lament from stranded American troops in the Philippines: "We are the Battling Bastards Of Bataan,/No momma, no poppa, no Uncle Sam,/No nephews, no nieces/No shells or artillery pieces/And nobody gives a damn..."
That's where we're at, Gen X. That's where we were always headed for once our pop culture influence peaked back in 2015.
One thing I emphasize in The Late Gen X Retirement Reset is that a reset isn’t the same as starting over. A reset means adjusting strategy based on new realities — not throwing everything out. Most Gen Xers already have the foundation; they just need a new playbook. What’s one thing you’ve had to “reset” in your retirement thinking?
Eating, oh and medicine. Can I live without both? I'm being fasicous but you get my point.
I think gen z and millennials want to kill boomers
Hit the nail on the head! Fucking Chad.
We were sold the biggest pile of BS AND STILL HERE. Scared every day. Hell yes, I would love to get the fuck out and give up my chair. But, I still have process documentation to complete for AI. Thank you Dana. In solidarity forever, wishing it was still 199x.
💯💯💯
A different mouthy, GenX, feminist killjoy named Dana who is also right fucking here!
We aren’t the ones. 🔥❤️✌🏼
The $6,000 median for GenX women should be the headline of every one of these stories. That's the caregiving years showing up in the retirement account.
To be fair at least a smidge, some of us “grandparents” HAD to go back to work because those 401ks we didn’t get haven’t been paying us anything. Social Security isn’t cutting it for most of us. Many aren’t eating properly because of it: prescriptions or food is a crushing decision to have to make.
Believe me, we see you, but we are just as frustrated.
Where I work, most of the upper executives are over 65. Three of them are “semi retired” at 70 years old. The CEO is one of them. The replacement he hired 2 years ago is his 38 year old son-in-law…… nope! Genx definitely can’t catch a break!
I like that you talk about shit like this. Can we remenease and talk about the meat puppets and Jamiroqaui? Damn we had it good in the 90’s lol. 😆 and shows like Married with Children and Martin and Seinfeld. LinkedIn was the Yellow Pages. social media was fan clubs. and remotes. People would actually go to these things called amusement parks. Had to take it back. As far as this thank you it is well said. I just remember my first jobs at a radio station. It was definitely different.