Wealth and Wisdom: Week of June 16, 2025
- Mike Brown
- Jun 16
- 3 min read
Do you ever wonder how some people are able to retire without a financial care in the world – while others never even get the option to stop working? Some of it might be explained in two articles I’m sharing with you this week.
The first reports that half of Gen Z – the generation born between 1997 and 2012 that coined the term “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) – are apparently so discouraged at the current state of the world that they see no point in saving for their future.
Yet at the very time this slough of despond is overtaking such a promising generation of young Americans – the latest numbers from Fidelity show that 401(k) participants are putting money away for their retirements at the highest savings rate ever seen.
I wonder how things will work out for each of these disparate groups as they approach retirement age one day – members of one diligently living on less than they earn, and the others spending their way through life with apparently little care about tomorrow.
It’s true: You do only live once. But how you live – now and later in life – has a lot to do with the choices you make with your money along the way.
With a challenging job market and mounting debts, nearly half of 20-somethings are already tempted to throw in the towel. (Reading time: 5 minutes)
Their numbers are dwindling, and their average age has now climbed to 38 – about 10 years older than historically normal. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
The average participant is socking away nearly 15% of their annual gross income for retirement, including employer matches. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
More than 80% of large employers offer a Roth 401(k) option – but just 0.1% are matching on an after-tax basis. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
New research has uncovered some big gaps between how we expect to retire and how it actually often happens. (Reading time: 5 minutes)
This is a longer article, but absolutely worth reading if you’re expecting nothing but blue skies and sunshine after you retire. (Reading time: 11 minutes)
Which better suits your lifestyle: stability and equity – or flexibility and convenience? Weigh the pros and cons of each before you decide. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
The more time you spend online, the more likely you’ll be a target of smishing, vishing, or even spear-phishing. Here are 8 ways to protect yourself. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
Some companies use word games to make you believe the products you buy were made in the U.S. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Words to the Wise
“Many an optimist has become rich simply by buying out a pessimist.”
– Laurence J. Peter, author of The Peter Principle
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