Nevin's Data "Points"

It’s hard to believe that just two years ago many of us went into our places of work, packed up, and went home for what most thought would be a week, maybe two—and wound up being a lot more than that. In March 2020, my wife and I had just returned from a funeral in the Boston area. While the worst of what we would come to learn about COVID was—well, yet to be learned—we knew that cautions were in order. So we drove, rather than flew to the event—which wound up being full of strangers (many of whom were in what would come to be acknowledged as “vulnerable” health categories). Throughout we were aware, conscious of a certain risk, but we were not overly cautious—about on the order of what you would do when you come into contact with someone who had a cold.  In hindsight, what might have been a “super spreader” event didn’t turn out to be one—even though less than 48 hours later the governor of the Commonwealth was putting in place lockdowns and restrictions that wo...

I was discussing the subject of retirement over the long holiday weekend with family.  There was a lot of talk about Social Security (or the looming lack thereof), the impact(s) of inflation, and how the markets (stock and housing) had boosted prospects, but ultimately decided we weren’t sure when that would happen, we weren’t even positive that it  would  happen (the so-called “ great resignation ” notwithstanding), or if it might consist of a gradual slowdown/pullback. Moreover, we really didn’t know what “it” would be like if and when it did happen, or where we might be living even if and when. Finally—it had been a pretty hectic week, after all—I somewhat playfully suggested that the best definition of retirement would be the absence of time-critical deadlines and Zoom meetings. Ah, now  that’s  something to look forward to! However, and as those who are already ensconced there can attest, retirement has its own set of pressures, and they go wel...