Many of us picture retirement as a time of ease. By then, the house will be paid off and the nest should be empty. Though there won’t be a paycheck to cover our bills, maintaining our lifestyle will cost less.
The reality, however, is often reduced circumstances. “Our current retirement plans, including 401(k)s and IRAs, have failed,” says Teresa Ghilarducci, economics professor at The New School for Social Research and author of How to Retire with Enough Money and How to Know What Enough Is. “Even the top 10 percent who make more than $100,000 save less than half of what they need.” Read More
“We have the courage to do this. We have to do it together. And it’s going to be imperfect. But if we don’t do it, one of our worst stories in history will continue to own us, and it will not go away. Because pain will not be denied.”
Read more from the September 2017 newsletter
Most of us will never know the heights—or depths—Marion Jones has traveled. At the peak of her career, the sprinter was going after five Olympic gold medals, making millions from endorsement deals and charming everyone with her irresistible smile. At rock bottom, she was an admitted liar, stripped of her medals and serving six months in prison.
If you’re being passed over for promotions by people less qualified than you or not getting jobs you can’t believe you didn’t get, part of the problem could be your self-presentation. “From the way you walk into a room to the tone of your voice, there are nonverbal ways of communicating that you are or aren’t manager material,” says Ruth Sherman, CEO and celebrity speech and media coach and author of Speakrets [rhymes with secrets]: The 30 Best, Most Effective, Most Overlooked Marketing And Personal Branding Essentials. “But these aren’t natural-born talents. It’s a matter of learning and practicing performance and technique.”