retirement Bear Market expected to destroy many Seniors Retirements

[G. David Felt]

We'll more and more evidence that we are heading towards a bear market.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-next-bear-market-in-stocks-will-spark-a-retirement-crisis-2018-06-27

Social Security has started to tap trust funds that will run out by 2034.

Medicare has increased using trust funds that are expected to be depleted by 2026.

End result is both programs are expected to be insolvent and the gov continues to increase spending on defense over taking care of the country.

10,000 baby boomers retire every day making this an even bigger uglier mess.

We are in the 10th year by some of a bull market that has quadrupled since March 2009 with an average 17.5% return, outpacing the prior 89 years of a 10% average growth by S&P 500. A correction is over due.

401K's have been pushed to their highest level ever, but over half of retires will not be able to afford basic expenses in retirement.

Pension funds by feds, state, county and cities not to mention private companies will see major hits as they are greatly underfunded and a bear market could force many of them to  become bankrupt liabilities that will destroy people counting on their pensions.

Corporate tax cuts and go for broke spending of the current administration and political groups in DC has guaranteed Trillions in budget deficits for the next 10-20 years at a time that interest rates are rising.

Federal Reserve added $3 trillion to it's balance sheet to deal with the last depression  / recession has no room to address the next one. This means rate cutting will not happen and central banks will not be able to buy up bonds.

Many have prepared for this, but more often than not many more have not.

Paying down debt and saving is a must for everyone.

[Drew Dowdell]

Heading towards?  I have news for you, we're already there....

[balthazar]

If you don't 'pay down debt & save' as a matter of course, an op-ed about impending financial doom isn't going to change your habits.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 hours ago, balthazar said:

If you don't 'pay down debt & save' as a matter of course, an op-ed about impending financial doom isn't going to change your habits.

The point wasn't quite about that. It was that the savings will be wiped out. 

[balthazar]

No way to make a blanket statement about 401Ks- too many variables. Besides, if the market is 'artificially high' ("overdue for a correction"), the funds in retirements accounts may revert to the 'normal/sustainable' level they were before the market took off. If that level in some cases is not enough to support 'over half of retirees', there were other factors involved there that contributed (plans, investment variables, individual and company contributions, other individual choices, etc).
Pretty rare there is a singular cause for ANYTHING in the financial arena.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

No way to make a blanket statement about 401Ks- too many variables. Besides, if the market is 'artificially high' ("overdue for a correction"), the funds in retirements accounts may revert to the 'normal/sustainable' level they were before the market took off. If that level in some cases is not enough to support 'over half of retirees', there were other factors involved there that contributed (plans, investment variables, individual and company contributions, other individual choices, etc).
Pretty rare there is a singular cause for ANYTHING in the financial arena.

You're over thinking it. We've been down this road before.  Large numbers of retirement accounts got wiped out. 

[trinacriabob]

A bear market will be cyclical, as are bull markets.  How long each lasts is the unknown variable.  They are predicting a recession for 2019 or 2010.  So far, I don't see many of the makings of one.  There are labor shortages, for one. 

I do see your point about the governmental funding aspect of this whole thing and the big bell shaped curve of boomers.   Unless silver spooned, boomers need to learn how to live less extravagantly as time goes by.  It's great to be cheap!  Sadly, they are also a preyed upon segment of society.  Being indoctrinated in critical matters, either through past schooling or by taking it upon themselves to learn about "modern life," could help them protect themselves.