Wiser Worker Blog

What does $2 trillion dollars look like?  I am having a hard time picturing it, and we miss it, since it disappeared from retirement funds.  When $2 trillion dollars disappears it gets everyone’s attention and FAST.   I just read a story on CNN  and they are reporting that retirement plans suffered a loss of $2 trillion dollars.  To me this is much more of a crisis than a bunch of CEO’s who frankly are probably overpaid losing their jobs.  Still what does $2 trillion dollars look like?  I know it is a enormous amount of money and I worry that what a loss of this magnitude will do the older worker.

What $2 Trillion Dollars will buy?

·         Fully fund the cost of healthcare for the 47 million Americans who have none, thru the year 2020.

·         Fund almost 2 billion full scholarships-that’s 6 times the population of the U.S.

·         Adequately clothe, feed and nurture every child orphaned by war or inflicted by savage cruelty and abuse.

We now know what $2 trillion dollars will buy, but what does a loss of $2 trillion dollars mean to older workers?  That’s right the people who have been WORKING and saving for 20 plus years towards the next phase of their lives? For those people the cost is HUGE and painful. We’re talking about money that they needed to live on in their golden years and guess what there lucrative buyout plan isn’t waiting for them.

What does $2 Trillion Dollars look like to the older worker?

·         More years they have to remain in the workplace.

·         Less trips to see the grandkids.

·         Less money to be able to invest in the golden years.

·         Rising mortgage payments.

·         Increased healthcare costs.

To the older worker $2 trillion dollars is a lot of money and amounts to miss opportunities and empty dreams. They must and will continue to stay in the workforce out of necessity.  $2 trillion dollars is much more money that I thought.