Money can be passed down to your children and grandchildren though.

bubblewand 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

If you follow the fairly common path of "various expensive, intermittent medical problems for a couple decades, a handful of years of very-bad medical problems, nursing home, then hospice care" in the US, and you don't have a shitload of money, you don't really have a savings of your own, you're just temporarily taking care of the medical and end-of-life-care industries' money. There's not going to be much to pass down.

This becomes more true by the year, as those costs keep rising faster than broader inflation.

▲

robocat 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You won't be able to in the future unless you are very wealthy.

Countries cannot afford the benefits and healthcare promised to retirees. So governments are getting more grabby. That pattern seems to be occurring in many countries.

New Zealand example: when you are in nursing or elderly care you must spend all your savings and sell your home. The retirement age also needs to increase - one fund suggested to 70+ https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/586737/retirement-age-wi...

Netherlands example: new capital tax 36% rate. A capital growth tax (vermogensaanwasbelasting) applies to stocks, bonds, savings, and cryptocurrencies. A separate capital gains tax applies to real estate and startup shares, taxing only upon sale.

US: see medical debts.

Articles usually talk about savings as though you can bank some funds while working, earn interest, and withdraw the savings later.

Don't deceive yourself thinking like that.

"Savings" cannot work in the future due to demographic issues (especially due to people living longer) even if you saw it work in the past.

Look at how many workers support one retiree. In New Zealand it used to be 7 workers to one retiree, and in the future it looks like 2 workers to 1 retiree.

This is a core issue for anyone below retirement age. Not only do we deceive ourselves about solutions, we are deceived by articles and history.

	▲	philwelch 9 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I have no intention of spending my childrens' inheritance selfishly extending my own life, and I'm grateful to live somewhere I still have that choice. The people of New Zealand and the Netherlands have my sympathy and I hope they one day have the same freedom of choice.

▲

carlosjobim 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You can do it before you die if you want to do that. They're not much helped by you sitting on it until you die.

	▲	bombcar 44 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		That's one of the biggest takeaways - if you're an average American with average retirement, you will die in your 70s and 80s and your children will inherit ... just before their retirement, likely. So instead of waiting to die, give it earlier when it helps more; or give to grandchildren.