Pixie, I appreciate your sympathetic response to the original author of "No cushion or stocks", because I am struggling with a similar situation. For reasons I won't bore you with, I had to retire before my 72nd birthday because of ill health with a "nest egg" of $3200. But I'm living rent-free with a combined SS/Pension income of about $19K annually.

I am now just past 73, with my nest egg up over $5K as of close of market today. Needless to say, it was much higher last week. My point, however, is that my goal is to hold long term and hope that I live long enough to pay for my own burial. My investment strategy is to invest as if I were 20, holding fast-moving tech stocks, and hope the market recovers in time for me to reach my goal.

The one thing that gave me a good laugh was the post from someone with 19 years to retirement claiming he (she) won't be able to retire. I sure wish I had awakened 29 years ago and realized retirement was inevitable. I could be one of the rich ones.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh just didn't hold up!~