On the one hand, you're absolutely right. On the other hand, if I'm putting off food or even general house/vehicle maintenance because of market conditions, my retirement has already failed from my point of view.
If you are that badly off you couldn't afford to retire. For most of the US you have a big spending problem because SS is enough to provide food and basic house/vehicle maintenance. (I know a few people who opted out of SS and then did bad retirement planning - but most people didn't even had the option to opt out of SS)
SS isn't much I'll grant. However it is enough to provide the basics.
I am counting on social security, and I think all the talk about it "running out" is stupid. It runs year by year on the income from that year, so it's completely up to the political will to pay, and whether the people who are working are willing to keep the retired from starving. I assume they will be, because if not, who gives a shit about anything anyway?
