Greg Tomamichel

Comments

• Thanks Mark, another very interesting article. I have no answers. This piece has rattled around in my head for several days, and the best I can do is let my muddled thoughts spill out. This feels like a hard issue to grapple with. To have a successful retirement, one probably needs a mix of hard work, discipline and luck. The latter is obviously outside our control. And if luck has smiled upon you, it can be difficult to know how to feel. Being grateful is probably helpful and healthy. But it can easily turn to guilt, which isn't probably particularly good for anyone. Perhaps just finding some empathy for others, an understanding that they may have battled hard but things just didn't work out, is at least some way forward. And maintaining a sense of humility, knowing that with one medical event or car crash or whatever else that everything could be very different.

  Post: Bearing Witness: Retirement From the Wrong Side of the Divide

  Link to comment from November 26, 2025

• Dick, I think you've achieved that and much more.

  Post: You worked a lifetime, you achieved your goals, you have it all-the next day it hardly matters

  Link to comment from November 26, 2025

• Thanks Michael. It's helpful to hear the reality from someone that isn't living it their dream retirement.

  Post: You worked a lifetime, you achieved your goals, you have it all-the next day it hardly matters

  Link to comment from November 26, 2025

• Thanks Dick for a really heartfelt and though-provoking piece. As someone still working, hearing about situations you described certainly make you ponder how long one should keep working, how much money you should save up for retirement, how many sacrifices should be made. Currently I have two parents in their late 70's who are slowly but steadily seeing their health diminish, and a daughter who is studying nursing and currently completing training in an aged care facility. The particular location she is in has a lot of dementia patients. All of this certainly reminds me that today's good fortune is far from guaranteed. All the very best to yourself, Connie and your friends battling their various challenges.

  Post: You worked a lifetime, you achieved your goals, you have it all-the next day it hardly matters

  Link to comment from November 26, 2025

• Dennis, good to hear from you again. Whilst I am more of an optimist regarding the economy and stock market, I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment about loneliness. I am fortunate in my current situation, but I come across people that seem to be very isolated. There seems to be a terrible sadness that comes with feeling all alone. With regards the economic situation in the USA and the challenges for younger people, I won't offer any opinion as I am from Australia. The last thing the USA needs is for some ignorant Australian to pretend they know it all! But I did read this article from Ben Carlson which I thought was an interesting alternate view, based upon data that he pulled together. Now Carlson is generally on the optimistic side of things, but I felt that the data included was pretty powerful. https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2025/11/what-if-things-are-better-than-they-seem/

  Post: What’s Really on My Mind These Days

  Link to comment from November 26, 2025

• Laura, many thanks for gifting this article. Beautifully written and wonderful to read. Work can be a terrible burden or a fantastic source of meaning and satisfaction. Hopefully we can find the latter.

  Post: When to walk away

  Link to comment from November 24, 2025

• Being 10-15 years out from retirement, a paid-off house is only important in that we don't have rent or mortgage payments to consider. But we certainly don't count the house value in our retirement savings. Our aim is to have a secure retirement income with no consideration of our house.

  Post: Is the value of your home an important part of retirement plans?

  Link to comment from November 23, 2025

• Thanks Laura. Your situation is exactly what I had in mind when I wrote this piece. A job that is affecting your well-being and has no sign of getting better. To my mind, that's not a life well lived.  Some times you just can't afford to quit, you need that terrible job to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.  But if there is any sort of viable alternative, even if it means lowering your income for a while, that has to be a better path.

  Post: When to walk away

  Link to comment from November 23, 2025

• I started going bald at about 18, so never got my long haired freak stage.

  Post: The Kids Are Alright

  Link to comment from November 22, 2025

• Thanks Mark for the extraordinarily open and honest account. I can only imagine the enormous challenge this created. No matter how optimistic I am, I certainly need to remember that many individuals still have enormous hurdles in life. More power to you.

  Post: The Kids Are Alright

  Link to comment from November 22, 2025