The Future Poor: How families and communities can join together to survive the looming retirement crisis

What do we do if everything we've worked for suddenly goes up in flames? We hope that someone will help us to rebuild our lives. In two sentences, that's the message of this book by personal finance expert Jonathan Grimm who just experienced that kind of life-threatening trauma when he and his family lost their California home and their entire neighborhood without warning in a raging wildfire. But there's hope even after such a disaster, if we remember and reclaim some of our core community values. We all can use such practical and inspiring wisdom now because the main crisis Jonathan Grimm warns about in these chapters is larger than the devastation of any fire or other natural disaster. The larger crisis that is shared by millions of still-young American adults is a looming retirement crisis. Due to deep flaws in our retirement system, individuals and families who assume they'll sail smoothly into those retirement years, instead, will fall below the poverty level. Even as the 2025 wildfires swept over his own home, Grimm had been researching and documenting the scope of this coming retirement crisis. In the year before his family was forced to dash from their home, he was just completing this book to show readers pragmatic solutions that can save our communities. Then, he found his family's neighborhood bursting into flame and saw families like his own fleeing with only what they could carry in their cars. Suddenly, Jonathan Grimm found himself, his wife, and their children relying on the same network of personal, family and community services that he encourages his readers to recognize and strengthen. We all will need those resources in the years ahead, he writes. Through vivid storytelling, historical analysis, and actionable solutions, The Future Poor: Explains how the traditional retirement model became unsustainable. Identifies the systemic barriers that prevent millions from achieving financial security. Offers practical and ethical strategies for individuals, congregations, and communities to address this crisis collectively. Reimagines retirement as part of a broader vision of social and communal health that takes seriously the values of quality healthcare, community support, and shared responsibility. Whether you're a policy maker, community leader, or individual seeking a sustainable path forward, The Future Poor is your guide to navigating and solving the retirement crisis. The problem is grim. The solution is not. Together, we can redefine retirement and build a future that works for everyone. Are you prepared for the looming retirement crisis? To whom will you turn if you suddenly lose everything? Today, we're facing more than flames-and together we can weather the crises as they come.

About the Author :
Jonathan Grimm is a Licensed Financial Advisor in California and has worked with a wide range of organizations from Fortune 500 companies to nonprofits and individuals. He is currently the only licensed advisor urging people to find ways to not retire. His research into the looming retirement crisis was sparked, in part, because of his nontraditional background in studying life's toughest questions. Jonathan earned his bachelor's degree in Moral Philosophy and his master's in Theological Studies. In The Future Poor, he describes how the deeper questions raised in his academic training pushed him to question conventional wisdom and discover the deep flaws in our American financial system. Once he documented those holes in what millions of Americans think of as their retirement safety net, he has spent years pursuing practical solutions that involve our working together as families, congregations and entire communities toward a better future. Jonathan is the creator and editor of The Grimm News, a series of daily news and commentary making sense of our global economy from understanding breaking news to lifting up untold stories Jonathan knows will help and sometimes amuse his readers. He is married to Aimee Grimm, LMFT, an award-winning licensed marriage and family therapist. They live near Pasadena with their three children and one large dog who sometimes makes cameos in his podcasts.

Review :
In this innovative book, Jonathan Grimm offers what is indeed a grim warning about the looming breakdown of the social contract when it comes to meeting the needs of the elderly. He demonstrates, with vivid detail, that the vast majority of Americans have not been able to make adequate provision for retirement. That is why they are, in fact, The Future Poor. He offers searching analysis of the many things that have gone wrong to get us to this place. And he offers suggestions for ways forward. This book combines both financial acumen and deep Christian moral concern. Highly recommended! David P. Gushee, Christian ethicist and author of Changing Our Mind Jonathan Grimm paints a picture of a society ill-prepared for the future because the present pillars of contentment are crumbling. His proposal draws upon ancient sources of wellbeing and modern realities of financial systems to prescribe a disciplined path to personal and communal health that includes but transcends financial success. This book is a primer for individuals, families, religious organizations, schools, government, and corporations. It will take rebalancing all communal institutions, not just a portfolio, to create true social security for all of us. George A. Mason, founder of Faith Commons and author of The Word Made Fresh Jonathan Grimm provides a timely and poignant reminder of the need to step into our power as investors. This book is a must-read for any person evaluating their financial position amidst the economic uncertainty of our times. Andrea Longton, CFA and author of The Social Justice Investor