Category: Retirement

Ozempic/GLP-1 drugs are yet another way for Boomers to steal from those of working age

by philg

Just as GLP-1 drugs hit the mainstream, the last of us Baby Boomers hits the minimum Social Security retirement age (1964+62=2026).

Working-age slaves pay taxes to fund Boomers’ Medicare. These costs will increase because GLP-1 drugs are expensive. Working-age slaves pay taxes to fund Boomers’ Social Security (our beloved Ponzi scheme). Boomers will now live 10 years longer because they’ll all be back to their design weight via GLP-1. A Boomer who lives longer will drain Social Security, thus forcing those of working age to pay higher tax rates and/or receive lower benefits themselves (maybe those of current working age will become eligible for Social Security at age 85?). A Boomer who lives longer in a state such as California will hog prime real estate due to Proposition 13 that caps property tax increases on long-held real estate (we have the same thing in Florida, but it is limited to a primary residence). Boomers who are mostly blind will inflict massive traffic jams on those of working age by going for jaunts in their self-driving cars, thus stealing time from the working age Americans who support the comfortably retired.

Here’s the latest expensive drug (Retatrutide) that the working age slaves will have to buy for us Boomers:

Google AI: “Experts estimate the monthly cost could range between $1,000 and $1,500+ once available. … Phase 3 trials are expected to conclude in Q3 2026, with potential commercial release following afterward.”

Novo Nordisk apparently learned from history:

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Coronapanic lockdowns will devalue independent living retirement homes?

by philg

The elderly folks whom I know that live in “independent living” retirement homes have now been locked down for six months. They can’t socialize, which was their motivation for moving into the dorm-style environment. The dining rooms are closed and meals are brought to their apartments. The shared athletic and activity facilities have been closed. Many are widows who are essentially locked into solitary confinement.

For folks who had only 4 years of life expectancy remaining, in order to protect them from a 5-20 percent chance of dying from coronaplague, they have now had a 100 percent chance of losing out on most of the things that they valued for 12 percent of their life expectancy.

(A friend’s mom has actually lost nearly 100 percent of the things that she enjoys for 100 percent of what turned out to be her remaining life. This widow was locked down in March, giving up her four weekly exercise classes and her multiple hours per day of socializing and excursions. She was feeling worse and worse. Eventually she got to see a doctor and was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She is almost certain to die befor the lockdown is lifted.)

On the other hand, the elderly folks that are living in regular houses or apartment buildings are free to visit family members, free to socialize with each other, free to go out to stores (whichever ones the governors and state license rajs will permit to open!), free to go to the beach, etc.

Independent living facilities are fairly expensive. Hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy in (co-op or condo) and then thousands of dollars per month for services, most of which are now shut down. Why spend this money and put oneself at risk of a multi-month or multi-year lockdown, whatever the state governor feels like ordering? Why not instead stay in an ordinary house or apartment building and hire a helper for a few hours per day if needed?

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Plan Retirement before College

by philg

At lunch with some retired folks here in Williamsburg, Virginia I asked “Don’t you miss your friends back in D.C.?”  No, they replied, “We went to William and Mary [the local liberal arts college] and 21 of our friends from school have retired here as well.  We have more friends here in Williamsburg than we do back where we lived when we were working.”


College is the time when a lot of people form their closest friendships.  Perhaps it makes sense to pick a college based on whether the town is a reasonable retirement destination.


Duke and UNC Chapel Hill are good (warm weather, cheap housing).  Yale is bad (high-crime neighborhood, cold weather).  Harvard and MIT are bad ($2 million fixer-upper houses, cruel winters).  Any school in Florida is prime!

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