Why Saving For Retirement Is Your Responsibility
March 9, 2010 | Posted by Brad Chaffee 
Are you in the process of saving for retirement? If not, you may want to consider it a viable option, instead of counting on Social Security. Better yet, let me explain why I think it is your responsibility to be the architect of your own retirement plan.
Let me start off by asking some easy questions.
– Do you feed yourself?
– Do you brush your own teeth?
– Do you wash yourself?
– Do you dress yourself in the morning?
– Do you get yourself to work everyday?
Why do you do those things each and everyday by yourself? It’s simple. You do those things because you can, but more importantly because you should!
It’s crazy that no one thinks of saving for their retirement in the same way. Why should someone else be responsible for taking care of you when you get old? Not only can you do it yourself, but you can most likely do it better than anyone else! You are the only one that truly cares about your retirement.
Could you imagine waking up every morning and waiting for someone to spoon feed you? How about if your mom still packed your lunch, and walked you to the bus stop? Wouldn’t that be kind of strange?
You are a grown up now, and if you want something you should go get it. Being self reliant means stepping up to the plate and making some big boy decisions—for yourself, and your family.
I hear a lot of people complaining about the minuscule amount they’ll end up getting from our Government when they retire, and I cant help but wonder what makes them rely so heavily on Social Security? Why would someone take something that is so very important, and put it in the hands of a group of politicians? Does that make sense?
It’s your responsibility to save for your own retirement, so get started. You can’t complain about what you don’t have, if you never made the effort to get it in the first place. That entitlement mindset goes against everything in you that wants to be self reliant. Stop fighting it, and take responsibility for your own life.
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Brad Chaffee is the Enemy of Debt, and a regular contributor here at the Self Reliance Exchange. Brad has also become debt free by paying off $26,076.75 in just 20 months. Learn more about Brad by reading his bio. You may also contact him here.
Categories: personal finance | 
Tags: retirement planning, saving for retirement, self reliance, Social Security | 
3 Comments »
Solid advice, Brad.
I do know some people who have problems accomplishing the bare functions of everyday life, so it isn’t surprising to me that they have difficulty with retirement savings.
As for Social Security, it is my opinion that it has been basterdized from what it was supposed to be to what it has become today. It was supposed to be a “safety net”– a last resort. Unfortunately, it has become the sole lifeline to many who have been seduced into entitlement programs that create dependent people.
Many younger people I know think they won’t get social security– I think they are wrong. This social program has become a “sacred cow” that won’t be taken away– it will be taxed away. You will “always” get your social security check, but the spendthrifts that run our government will tax you six ways to Sunday to get it back from you.
Bottomline– start preparing to help yourself . . .
Brad, I don’t count on Social Security at all. If I received nothing, my expectations will have been met to the penny. A Supreme Court decision in the 1960s is still valid today and it recognizes Social Security payments as just another tax that Congress has imposed, and as such, they can do with the revenue as they please – and indeed they have.
My suggestion is to start building after tax savings and make investments for the future – things like education, owning a home free and clear, self-employment and personal financial investments. When you boil it all down, the only one you can really count on is you, so we all need to recognize this and start setting ourselves up for success over the long haul.
I’m reminded of what Bread used to sing, “I got burned but I finally learned, this isn’t what the govern-meant.”
Clair
Thanks guys! I thought this post was very relevant to the entitlement era, which hopefully is starting to end. There are still too many people out there that think the world owes them everything. I say go get it yourself because you can!