[failquicker]

Ok, maybe I abbreviated my train of thought there. Let me elaborate.

And I am speaking solely from my knowledge of US History.

"Bi-Product of the industrial revolution." retirement came about SOLELY because of the industrial revolution. Prior to that most people were artisans and self-employed. However, once everyone got onto an assembly line, older people who couldn't keep up started gumming up the works. And they were being laid off in droves. To counteract that, Roosevelt, enacted Social Security as a form of "Old Age Insurance". Soon after, corporations started pension plans of their own. And this ushered in the era of "Companies look after their own" in America.

The point I was trying to make is that it use to be common belief that your employer would take care of you. It's not that way anymore.

Did I do any better that time?