EP 495: Kerry Hannon on Debt, Downsizing, and Designing Your Ideal Retirement

The oldest members of Gen X are facing retirement, and many are feeling unprepared. Traditional pensions disappeared just as Gen X entered the workforce. 401(k)s weren’t mainstream until much later. And along the way, they endured the tech bubble, the Great Recession, and a pandemic. No wonder headlines call Gen X “the forgotten generation” and warn of a retirement crisis.

In this episode, Jean sits down with author and Yahoo Finance senior columnist Kerry Hannon to talk about her new book with co-author Janna Herron, Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future. Together, they dive into why retirement feels so daunting for Gen X, what makes this generation uniquely scrappy, and how to turn worry into optimism.

You’ll learn:

• Why Gen X was dealt such a tough financial hand, and what you can do about it now
• How debt, student loans, and “lifestyle creep” factor into retirement readiness
• The HOVER method (Hope, Optimism, Value, Enthusiasm, Resilience) for building a positive money mindset
• Why downsizing isn’t the only answer — and how continuing to work, re-skill, and find purpose can make retirement stronger

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