Welcome to today's episode, where I challenge the default faith in retirement accounts and explore how deferring money and effort can weaken families and towns. I offer a grounded path that balances basic savings with tangible assets, local enterprise, and skills that compound close to home.

• the retirement trap mindset and its costs
• penalties, access limits and deferred life
• investing in land, tools and small shops
• leasing idle pasture and starting livestock
• pros of 401(k)s, Roths and employer matches
• erosion of family care and local commerce
• housing tilt toward older investors over first-time buyers
• subsidiarity and keeping capital local
• practical steps to balance paper and real assets

If you are in winter storm Fern’s path, stay safe, check your generator, make sure you get the eggs, bread, and milk, and settle in, it's looking to be a doozy!