Wealthy Nation, Lonely Retirees: The Real Retirement Crisis
U.S. net worth has climbed past $190 trillion, yet roughly one in four adults 65 and older is socially isolated, and men over 75 have the country’s highest suicide rate. Wes Moss argues that retirement well-being depends more on having a sense of purpose and close relationships than on wealth. His research links happier retirements to having several close friends, multiple interests, daily exercise, and a written financial plan.
Federal data cited by Wes Moss show U.S. net worth roughly doubled from about $90 trillion in 2016 to over $190 trillion a decade later. Even so, about a quarter of Americans 65 and older report social isolation, and men past 75 have the country’s highest suicide rate.
Moss attributes this gap less to finances than to meaning and relationships. He notes roughly four million people turned 65 in each of the past two years, while the share reporting no friends rose from 3% in 1990 to 17% in 2024. Making close friends feels easy to 82% of thirtysomethings but only 34% of sixtysomethings.
This story may reshape how retirees, families, employers, and financial advisers think about later life. If well-being depends on purpose, friendships, interests, exercise, and planning, then policies and products focused only on savings could miss many older adults. Men over 75 and socially isolated seniors may be especially vulnerable. Communities, workplaces, and advisers could face pressure to support connection before and after retirement, though the scale of any change remains uncertain.