80,

You enjoy the ever so brief blessing that is youth. As one gets older and has something to conserve, they become conservative.

At one time we were all fairly safe sending 20 to 25% of our income to some 24 year old grad school hotshot on Wall Street with the comfort that without much effort on our part, we could retire comfortably. Then 2000 hit some of us and 2008 hit us again.

There are a lot of guys at Delta who are smart with their money. I'm probably in the lower 20% of that brain trust. But, for the sake of our families, it is up to us to invest with the greatest knowledge we can bring to bear.

On an annual basis, my families savings is greater than my income from Delta Air Lines. Despite that effort, I will not be able to retire in the fashion enjoyed by my parents' generation. What they (and the example provides true from Delta's defined benefit plan to the librarian down the street from me) simply is not sustainable.

Part of playing the game defensively is learning everything you can.

I'm not a gold & gun nut. Those are assets which don't create anything new. IMHO to make money you've got to get something, increase it's value and move it on, constantly. There just are not any safe, "I don't do anything but own it" options.