An honest look at the personal finance crisis | Elizabeth White

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: SF Huang

You know me.

你認識我。

I am in your friendship circle hidden in plain sight.

我就藏在你朋友圈中不顯眼的地方。

My clothes are still impeccable --

我的衣著無可挑剔——

bought in the good years when I was still making money.

它們是我在還會賺錢的 那段黃金歲月所買下的。

To look at me you would not know

光看著我，你不會知道

that my electricity was cut off last week for nonpayment,

我上週已經因為沒繳電費被斷電，

or that I meet the eligibility requirements for food stamps.

也不會知道我已經符合 可以領食物券的條件了。

But if you paid attention,

但若你有留意，

you would see that sadness in my eyes --

你會看到我眼中的悲傷——

hear that hint of fear in my otherwise self-assured voice.

在我原本自信的聲音中 聽到些許的恐懼。

These days I'm buying the $1.99 trial-size jug of Tide

這些日子，我會買 1.99 美元的 汰漬洗衣精試用罐，

to make ends meet.

讓收支能平衡。

I bet you didn't know laundry detergent came in that size.

我打賭你不知道洗衣精 還有那種大小的包裝。

You invite me to the same expensive restaurants

你邀請我到同一間昂貴的餐廳，

the two of us have always enjoyed,

我們兩個人一向很享受在那裡用餐，

but I order mineral water now with a twist of lemon,

但我現在會點礦泉水 加上螺旋檸檬皮，

not the 12-dollar glass of chardonnay.

而不是一杯 要價 12 美元的白葡萄酒。

I am frugal in my menu choices.

點餐時我盡量少花錢。

Meticulous, I count every penny in my head.

我在腦中小心翼翼地 計算著每一分錢。

I demur dividing the table bill evenly to cover desserts and designer coffees

我反對平分帳單，因為帳單裡頭 包含了甜點、特調咖啡，

and second and third glasses of wine I did not consume.

及第二和第三杯紅酒， 都不是我消費的。

I am tired of trying to fake appearances.

我好厭倦要在表面上作假。

A friend told me that I'm broke not poor, and there is a difference.

朋友告訴我，我是破產而非貧窮， 兩者是有差別的。

I live without cable, my gym membership

我的生活中沒有 有線電視、健身房會籍，

and nail appointments.

及美甲的預約。

I've discovered I can do my own hair.

我發現我可以自己做頭髮。

There is no retirement savings,

沒有退休存款，

no nest egg.

沒有儲蓄金。

I exhausted that long ago.

我很早以前就把它花光了。

There is no expensive condo to draw equity

沒有昂貴的公寓可以貸款變現，

and no husband to back me up.

也沒有丈夫可以倚靠。

Months of slow pay and no pay have decimated my credit.

數個月來帳單不是遲繳就是沒繳， 讓我的信用受到重挫。

Bill collectors call constantly,

催帳的人常常打電話來，

reading verbatim from a script

照本宣科地唸著催款稿後，

before expressing polite sympathy for my plight

才禮貌性地對我的困境表示同情，

and then demanding payment arrangements I can't possibly meet.

接著要求我履行 無法如期償付的還款計畫。

Friends wonder privately how someone so well educated

朋友們私下納悶著， 我受過這麼好的教育，

could be in economic free fall.

怎麼可能在經濟上摔得這麼慘。

I'm still as talented as ever and smart as a whip,

我還是一樣有才華、一樣機敏，

but work is sketchy now,

但工作有一餐沒一餐，

mostly on and off consulting gigs.

大部分是時有時無的諮詢案件。

At 55 I've learned how to fake cheeriness,

在 55 歲時，我學會了假裝開心，

but there are not many opportunities for work anymore.

但工作機會已經不多了。

I don't remember exactly when it stopped,

我無法明確記得是何時停止的，

but I cannot deny now having entered

但我無法否認我已經進入了

the uncertain world of formerly and used to be.

以前曾經歷過的不穩定、 無常的情況中了。

I'm not sure anymore where I belong.

我再也不確定我的歸屬在哪裡。

What I do know is that dozens of online job applications

我確切知道的是， 數十張線上工作應徵申請表

seem to just disappear into a black hole.

似乎都石沉大海。

I'm wondering what is to become of me.

我很納悶我之後會變成什麼樣子。

So far my health has held up,

目前我的健康還過得去，

but my body aches -- or is it my spirit?

但我身體的疼痛—— 還是其實是心靈的痛？

Homeless women used to be invisible to me

我以前都看不見無家可歸的女性，

but I appraise them now with curious eyes,

但現在我會用好奇的目光 來揣度她們，

wondering if their stories started like mine.

納悶她們故事的一開始 是否也和我一樣。

I wrote this piece a year ago.

我一年前寫了這篇作品。

It's a composite of my story and other women I know.

它包含了我的故事 以及我認識的其他女性。

I wrote it because I was tired of pretending

我之所以寫下它是因為我厭倦了

I was all right when I wasn't.

當我失意落魄時還要假裝過得不錯。

I was tired of faking normal.

我厭倦了假裝一切安好如常。

I wasn't seeing myself in the popular press.

我沒有在主流新聞中看見我自己。

Nobody I knew was traveling the world or buying a condo in Costa Rica.

我不認識任何環遊世界的人 或在哥斯大黎加買公寓的人。

Very few of my friends had set aside the 15 to 20 percent

幾乎沒有朋友聽從專家的建議， 將收入的 15% 到 20 % 存下來，

experts tell us we need to maintain our standard of living in retirement.

以便在退休後能維持 我們既有的生活水平。

My friends, many in their 50s and 60s,

我許多朋友都已經五、六十歲了，

were looking at a downward mobility,

他們要面臨的是行動力下降，

a work-for-life proposition,

考慮是否要終身工作，

just a job loss, medical diagnosis or divorce away from insolvency.

只要一次失業、一次醫療診斷 或一次離婚，就會破產。

We may not have hit rock bottom,

我們可能還沒有跌到谷底，

but many of us saw a sequence of events

但我們當中許多人 都經歷了一連串的事件，

where rock bottom was possible for the first time.

讓他們第一次覺得， 跌到谷底是有可能的。

And the truth is, it really doesn't take much.

事實是，要跌到谷底並不難。

The median household in the US

美國的一般家庭

only has enough savings to replace one month of income.

存款只足夠代替一個月的收入。

Forty-seven percent of us

我們當中有 47% 的人

cannot pull together 400 dollars to deal with an emergency.

無法湊出 400 美元 來處理緊急事件。

That's almost half of us.

那幾乎是一半的人了。

A major car repair and we're standing on the abyss.

若車子需要一次大翻修 我們就已站在深淵邊緣了。

You wouldn't know it to look around you --

看看你四周，你不會知道——

I'm not the only one in this situation.

我並不是唯一處在這種情況的人。

There are people in this room who are in the same predicament,

在這間房間中也有人 和我有相同的困境，

and if it's not you,

如果不是你，

it is your parents or your sister or maybe your best friend.

也可能是你的父母、 你的姐妹或你最好的朋友。

We get good at faking normal.

我們都很擅長假裝一切安好。

Shame keeps us silent and siloed.

羞恥感讓我們保持沉默和孤立。

When I first decided I was going to come out with my story,

當我最初決定要出來 講述我的故事時，

I did a website

我設了一個網站，

and a friend noticed that there were no photos of me --

一個朋友注意到 網站上沒有我的照片——

it was all kind of cartoons like this.

上面都是像這樣的漫畫。

Even as I was coming out,

即使我站出來了，

I was still hiding.

我也還在躲藏。

We live in a world where success is defined by income.

在我們所居住的世界中， 成功是由收入來定義的。

When you say that you have money problems,

當你說你有金錢方面的問題時，

you're announcing pretty much that you're a loser.

你差不多就等於是 宣佈你是個失敗者了。

When you're a graduate of Harvard Business School as I am,

當你跟我一樣 是哈佛商學院的畢業生，

you're some kind of double loser.

你就是某種雙重失敗者。

We boomers hear a lot about how we have underfunded our retirement;

我們這些嬰兒潮出生的人， 常聽到我們所提撥的退休金不足，

how it's all our fault.

說錯全都在我們。

Why on earth would we draw down our 401(k) plan to cover the shortfall

到底為什麼要提領我們 401(k) 退休福利計畫的錢，

on our mother-in-law's nursing home care,

去補足我們親家母 在養老院的照護赤字，

or to pay for our kid's tuition, or just to survive?

或是支付我們孩子的學費， 或只是用來生存？

We're accused of being poor planners and deadbeats --

我們被指控是很不懂規劃的人 及遊手好閒的人——

all that money we spent on lattes and bottled water.

所有的錢都花在拿鐵和瓶裝水上。

To shame and blame is so deliciously tempting.

羞辱和責怪別人是如此誘人。

Many of us don't even wait for others to do it

許多人甚至還沒等別人這麼做，

we're so busy doing it to ourselves.

就自己先自責起來了。

I say let's own our part:

我認為大家應各自反省：

we all could have saved more.

我們原本可以存更多錢。

I know I could have saved more,

我知道我本來可以存更多，

and if you were to rifle through my life over the last 30 years,

如果你能快速看 我過去三十年的人生，

you would see more than one dumb thing I have done financially.

你就會看到我在財務上 做的蠢事不只一樁。

I can't change that now

我現在無法改變過去，

and neither can you,

你也不能，

but let's not mix up individual, isolated behavior

但不要把個別、獨立的行為

with the systemic factors

和造成退休金 7.7 兆美元缺口的

that have caused a 7.7-trillion-dollar retirement income gap.

系統因子搞混。

Millions of boomer-age Americans did not land here

美國數百萬名嬰兒潮的人

並不是因為太常去星巴克 而落到這步田地。

because of too many trips to Starbucks.

We spent the last three decades dealing with flat and falling wages

過去三十年間， 我們面臨著通膨、下跌的薪資、

and disappearing pensions

消失的退休金，

and through-the-roof cost

以及房價、醫療保健

on housing and health care and education.

和教育費用的飆升飛漲。

It used to not be like this.

以前並不是這個樣子的。

We all remember the three-legged retirement income stool

我們都還記得退休收入的三腳凳，

which had the savings and pension and social security.

它有儲蓄、退休金和社會福利。

Well, that stool has gone wobbly.

而那張凳子開始晃動了。

Take savings -- what savings?

比如儲蓄——什麼儲蓄？

For many families,

對許多家庭來說，

there's just nothing left to save after the bills have been paid.

付完帳單就已無餘錢可供儲蓄了。

The pension leg of the stool has also gone wobbly.

凳子的「退休金」 那隻腳也開始晃動。

We can remember when many people had pensions.

我們還記得以前很多人有退休金。

Today only 13 percent of American workers are employed by companies that offer them.

現今美國只有 13% 的工作者 受僱於會支付他們退休金的公司。

So what did we get instead?

那我們反而得到什麼？

We got 401(k)-type plans

我們得到了401(k) 的 退休福利計畫，

and suddenly responsibility for retirement planning got shifted

還突然把退休計畫的責任

from our companies to us.

從公司移轉到我們個人身上。

We got the reigns but we also got the risk,

我們得到了支配權， 但也得承擔風險，

and it turns out that millions of us just aren't that good

結果發現我們有 數百萬人在 40 年間

at voluntarily investing over 40 years.

並非那麼擅長做自主性投資。

Millions of us just aren't that good at managing market risk.

我們有數百萬人就是 不那麼擅長管理市場風險。

And really the numbers tell the story.

真的，數字會說話。

Half of all American households have no retirement savings at all.

半數的美國家庭完全沒有退休儲蓄。

That would be zero.

那就是 0 存款。

No 401(k), no IRA, not a dime.

沒有401(k) 退休福利計畫、 沒有個人退休帳戶，一分錢都沒有。

Among 55-to-64-year-olds who do have a retirement account,

在 55 到 64 歲之間 確實有退休帳戶的人口中，

the median value of that account is 104,000 dollars.

存款的中位數是 104,000 美元。

Now, 104,000 dollars does sound better than zero,

104,000 美元聽起來 的確比 0 美元更好。

but as an annuity, it generates about 300 dollars.

但作為退休年金， 它的月領金額大約是 300 美元。

I don't have to tell you that you can't live on that.

不用我說，你們也知道 這錢不夠生活。

With savings down,

隨著儲蓄下降，

pensions becoming a relic of the past

退休金已經名存實亡，

and 401(k) plans failing millions of Americans,

而 401(k) 退休福利計畫 讓數百萬的美國人失望了，

many near-retirees are dependent on social security

許多快退休的人要仰賴社會福利

as their retirement plan.

來當他們的退休計畫。

But here's the problem.

但問題來了。

Social security was never supposed to be the retirement plan.

社會福利從來就不應該 被當作退休計畫。

It's not nearly enough.

它不夠，且還差得遠。

At best it replaces something like 40 percent

它頂多能提供你

of your pre-retirement income.

退休前 40% 薪資的金額。

Things have changed a lot

從 1935 年社會福利 開始施行之後，

from when social security was introduced back in 1935.

世事發生了許多變化。

Then, a 21-year-old male had a 50 percent chance

當年，21 歲的男性 有 50% 的機率

of living until he was 65.

可以活到 65 歲。

So he retired at 60,

所以他 60 歲會退休，

did a little fishing, kissed his grandkids,

去釣釣魚，親親他的孫子孫女，

got his gold watch --

買一隻金錶——

he'd be dead within five years of receiving benefits.

在領了五年的福利金之後， 他就會死亡了。

That's not the pattern today.

現今的模式不是這樣的。

If you're in your late 50s and in good health,

如果你快要 60 歲 且健康狀況不錯，

you're going to live easily another 20 or 25 years.

你很容易可以 再活個 20 到 25 年。

That's a really long time to make ends meet

如果這時你破產了，

if you are broke.

你將有漫漫長路要去維持收支平衡。

So what's the play if you've landed here

所以，如果你是在 50、55 或 60 歲

遇到這種情況，該怎麼做？

and you're 50 or 55 or 60?

What's the play if you don't want to land here

如果你現在是 22 或 32 歲，

and you're 22 or 32?

不想淪落到這地步，又該怎麼做呢？

Here's what I've learned from my own experience.

以下是我從自身經驗學到的。

The cavalry's not coming.

沒有救兵會來救你。

There is no big rescue,

沒有什麼大救援，

no prince charming,

沒有什麼白馬王子，

no big bailout in the works.

也沒有大型財務救濟計畫。

To have a shot at something other than being old and poor in America,

在美國，若想要有機會 脫離又老又窮的狀態，

we're going to have to save ourselves and each other.

我們就得要拯救自己和彼此。

I've had to come out of the shadows,

我已從陰影底下走出來，

stand here openly,

公開站在這裡，

and I'm inviting you to do so as well.

我也邀請各位這麼做。

I'm not going to tell you that it's not easy.

我不會告訴你們這不容易。

I ventured though to tell my story

我冒險說出我的故事

because I thought it would make it a little easier for people to tell theirs.

是因為我認為這樣做能讓大家 較容易說出自己的故事。

I think it's only through our strength in numbers

我想也只能靠群聚眾人之力，

that we can begin to change the national "la-la" conversation

我們才能開始改變國家 針對這個退休危機

that we are having on this retirement crisis.

和我們所進行的「不切實際」對談。

With so many of us shell-shocked and adrift about what has happened to us,

鑒於我們對於所經歷過的事 都已感到身心俱疲和無所適從，

we're going to have to build up from the grassroots,

因此我們得從根本開始建立起，

forming what I think are resilience circles.

形成我心中的恢復圈。

These are small groups of people coming together

恢復圈就是由人們組成的小群體，

to talk about what has happened to them,

聚在一起談論發生在他們身上的事，

to share resources and information

分享資源和資訊

and to begin to figure out a way forward.

並開始找出能向前行的方法。

I believe from this base that we can find our voices again

我相信在這個基礎之上， 我們就能再次為自己發聲

and sound the alarm --

並敲響警鐘——

start pushing our institutions and policymakers

開始督促我們的機構和政策制定者，

to go hard on this retirement crisis with the urgency it deserves.

努力處理這個具急迫性的退休危機。

In the meantime --

同時——

and there is an "in the meantime" --

還有個「同時」——

we're going to have to adopt a live-low-to-the-ground mindset,

我們得要有節儉度日的心態，

drastically cutting back on our expenses.

大大縮減我們的開銷。

And I don't mean just living within our means.

我的意思並不只是量入為出。

A lot of people are already doing that.

很多人已經那麼做了。

What is called for now is to,

在更深層的意義上，

in a much deeper way,

現在需要做的，

ask ourselves what it really means

是要問問我們自己，

擺脫物質束縛的人生真諦為何。

to live a life that is not defined by things.

I call it "smalling up."

我稱它是「簡約且具質感」。

Smalling up is figuring out what you really need

簡質的生活就是要找出讓自己感到

to feel contented and grounded.

真正滿足和踏實的必要需求。

I have a friend who drives really beat-up, raggedy cars,

我有個朋友開著一台破銅爛鐵的車，

but he will scrimp and save 15,000 dollars at one point

但他省吃儉用， 直到存夠了 15,000 美元

to buy a flute

就去買一支長笛，

because music is what really matters to him.

因為音樂對他來說才是真正重要的。

He smalled up.

他過著簡約卻具質感的生活。

I've had to also let go of magical thinking --

我也得拋開不切實際的想法——

this idea that if I just was patient enough

以為如果我能有足夠的耐心

and tightened my belt

並束緊腰帶，

that things would go back to normal.

一切就會回到以前的常態。

If I just sent in one more CV

如果我再寄出一份簡歷表，

or applied to one more job online

或是再上網多申請一個工作，

or attended one more networking event

或是再去參加一場人脈交流的活動，

that surely I'd get the kind of job I was used to having.

那我肯定就可以找到 以前做的那種工作。

Surely things would return to normal.

一切肯定就會回歸常軌。

The truth is I'm not going back and neither are you.

事實是我回不去了，你們也一樣。

The normal that we knew is over.

我們所知道的正常已經結束了。

In this new place that we are,

在我們現在所處的新階段，

we're going to be asked to do things that we don't want to do.

我們會被要求做我們不想做的事。

We're going to be asked to take assignments

要去接受那些我們認為

that we think are beneath our station and our talent

以我們的地位、才能和技藝來講，

and our skill.

實在是大材小用的工作。

I have had to get off my throne.

我得要離開我的寶座，放下身段。

Last year, a good friend of mine asked me if I would help her

去年，我的一位好友問我

with some organization work.

能不能幫她做些組織、籌畫的工作。

I assumed she meant community organizing

我以為她指的是社區組織，

along the lines of what President Obama did in Chicago.

就像歐巴馬總統在芝加哥做的一樣。

She meant organizing somebody's closet.

結果她指的是整理某人的儲藏室。

I said, "I'm not doing that."

我說：「我不做那種事。」

She said, "Get off your throne. Money is green."

她說：「放下你的身段， 錢是『綠色』的。」

It's not easy being part of the advance team

成為先遣隊的一員

that is ushering in this new era of work and living.

要開創出新時代的 工作和生活方式並不容易。

First is always hardest.

萬事起頭難。

First is before there are networks

因為是最先，所以還沒有支援網絡、

and pathways and role models ...

通路以及典範……

before there are policies and ways to show us

還沒有政策，也沒有方法能告訴我們

how to go forward.

如何向前行。

We're in the middle of a seismic shift,

我們正處在一個重大改變當中，

and we're going to have to find bridgework to get us through.

我們得要找到度過難關的方法。

Bridgework is what we do in the meantime;

這段時間我們所做的就是架橋工程；

bridgework is what we do

當我們試圖在想出下一步時，

while we're trying to figure out what is next.

這段過渡期我們所做的事 就是架橋工程。

Bridgework is also letting go of this notion

架橋工程也是要屏除掉

that our worth and our value depend on our income

我們的價值是取決於 我們的收入、

and our titles and our jobs.

頭銜及工作的謬誤。

Bridgework can look crazy or cool depending on how you were rolling

架橋工程看起來可能很瘋狂、 也可能很酷，

就看當你個人的財務危機來襲時， 你要如何應對。

when your personal financial crisis hit.

I have friends with PhDs who are working at the Container Store

我有些有博士學位的友人 在連鎖大賣場工作

or driving Uber or Lyft,

或是開優步、利夫特，

and then I have other friends who are partnering with other boomers

也有其他朋友和嬰兒潮的人，

and doing really cool entrepreneurial ventures.

合夥做了很酷的創業投資。

Bridgework doesn't mean that we don't want

進行架橋工程並不表示我們不想要

建基在我們過去的職涯之上，

to build on our past careers,

that we don't want meaningful work.

也不表示我們不想要 做有意義的工作。

We do.

我們當然想要！

Bridgework is what we do in the meantime

架橋工程是在我們試圖 找出下一步該如何走時，

while we're figuring out what is next.

同時間所要做的事。

I've also learned to think strategy not failure

我也學會了當我在處理 這些我不想做的事情時，

when I'm sort of processing all these things that I don't want to do.

要認為這是權宜性的策略 而非意味著失敗。

And I say that that's an approach

我也希望能邀請

that I would invite you to consider as well.

各位考慮一下這個方法。

So if you need to move in with your brother to make ends meet,

如果你得要搬去和你的兄弟 一起住來讓收支平衡，

call him.

就打電話給他。

If you need to take in a boarder to help you pay your mortgage

如果你得要分租房間 來支付你的貸款

or pay your rent,

或支付你的房租，

do it.

就去做。

If you need to get food stamps,

如果你需要領食物券，

get the darn food stamps.

就去領那天殺的食物券。

AARP says only a third of older adults who are eligible actually get them.

美國退休人員協會說，只有 1/3 符合領食物券的長者會去領取。

Do what you need to do to go another round.

做你必須要做的， 讓你能再撐一回合。

Know that there are millions of us.

要知道還有數百萬像我們這樣的人。

Come out of the shadows.

走出陰影。

Cut back,

縮衣節食，

small up;

過簡質的生活；

think strategy, not failure;

把這當做是策略，而非失敗；

get off your throne

放下你的身段，

and find the bridgework to get your through the lean times.

找到過渡期的解決方案 讓你能撐過拮据的日子。

As a country, we have achieved longevity,

我們這個國家已經 達成了長壽的目標，

investing billions of dollars in the diagnosis, treatment

投資數十億美元

在診斷、治療和管理疾病。

and management of disease.

It's not enough to just live a long time.

光是活得久還不夠。

We want to live well.

我們也想要活得好。

We haven't invested nearly as much in the physical infrastructure

我們還沒有投資同等的錢 去做實體的基礎設施

to ensure that that happens.

來確保我們能活得好。

We need now a new way of thinking

現在我們需要一種新的思考方式，

about what it means to be old in America.

想想在美國變老的意義為何。

And we need guidance and ideas about how to live

我們需要指引和建議， 讓大家知道

如何運用適中的收入 來過具質感的生活。

a richly textured life

on a much more modest income.

So I am calling on change agents

所以，我要號召改革人士

and social entrepreneurs,

社會上的企業家、

artists and elders

藝術家和年長者們，

and impact investors.

還有具影響力的投資者們。

I'm calling on developers and disrupters of the status quo.

我要號召發展者和現況改變者。

We need you to help us imagine

我需要你們來協助我們，

how to invest in the services and products and infrastructure

設想如何在服務、產品 以及基礎設施上來投資，

that will support our dignity,

以維護我們的尊嚴、

our independence and our well-being

獨立性以及我們的福祉，

in these many, many decades that we're going to live.

讓我們能在接下來的 幾十年都能活得更好。

My journey has taken me from a place of fear and shame

我的旅程已經把我從 心存恐懼和羞恥

to one of humility and understanding.

帶到了謙卑和理解的境界。

I'm ready now to link shields with others,

現在我已經準備好 要和其他人聯手抵禦，

to fight this fight,

要打這場仗，

and I'm inviting you to join me.

我也邀請各位加入我。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）