- A Gen-X career no longer lasts until you can get your money out at 55. A cynic once said that an engineer's career is basically doing MNC work in his 30s, working for a government agency in his 40s, driving Grab above his 50s, and selling cardboard in his 60s.
The book Die with Zero has also put the traditional notion of the Bucket List to death, and this makes sense whether you are a believer of the FIRE movement or a subscriber to the conventional ideas of a commissioned financial advisor.
For the older generation, there is this idea that retirement is a reward for a life well-lived, so most of Gen X engaged in their careers believing that by delaying gratification and working hard, they will be rewarded with a life of casual travel with their teenaged children after being able to take out their CPF money.
But this form of delay of gratification can be risky :
