The Society Time Machine

One of the simplest psychological tools for thinking about your financial future is the “society time machine.”

Find people who are about 10 years older than you, with similar education, income, lifestyle, and social environment. They may be coworkers or next-door neighbors. In many cases, they provide a surprisingly good preview of where you are likely to end up if you continue doing what you’re doing today.

If you like what you see about their financial security, lifestyle, health, and retirement readiness then staying the course may be the right decision.

If you don’t like what you see, you will likely need to take drastically different actions to get to the different point.