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64 % of Americans Fear Retirement Poverty More than Mortality

April 23, 2025

Hello. It’s Wednesday · April 23 · 2025, and today’s issue we’ll cover:

  • A Tesla slump that could reshape EV prices and jobs in North America

  • Why two-thirds of workers are more scared of going broke than dying—and what to do today

  • The fast-moving New Jersey wildfire disrupting homes, power lines and supply chains

Every story ends with “Your Next Steps” so you can act, not just scroll.

📈 Business & Economy

Tesla Profit Crashes 71 %: Can Musk Re-Charge Confidence?

  • Q1 profit -71 %, revenue -9 %, vehicle deliveries -20 % YoY

  • Shareholders demand Elon Musk step back from his temporary government role and steady production

  • BYD and other Chinese rivals keep under-pricing Tesla in the mass-market segment

  • Management warns that new U.S.–China tariffs could lift input costs and slow 2025 growth

Your Next Steps:

* Shoppers: Expect steeper flash discounts on Model 3/Y through summer as Tesla clears inventory. Compare total cost after the new $6,500 federal credit cap.

* Investors & employees: Volatility will stay high until an updated product roadmap (June Investor Day). If you’re in the Tesla options pool or suppliers’ workforce, build a cash cushion covering at least one pay cycle.

Learn how to make AI work for you

AI won’t take your job, but a person using AI might. That’s why 1,000,000+ professionals read The Rundown AI – the free newsletter that keeps you updated on the latest AI news and teaches you how to use it in just 5 minutes a day.

💸 Personal Finance

Running Out of Money > Death? A Stark Retirement Survey

  • 64 % of Americans earning $50 k+ fear retirement poverty more than mortality

  • Median nest egg: $87 k vs. the $1.26 M experts say would fund a “comfortable” 30-year retirement

  • Gen X (ages 45-60) leads the anxiety at 70 %; Boomers 61 %

Prolonged inflation, higher taxes forecast in 2026, and doubts that Social Security’s trust fund will pay full benefits after 2033.

Your Next Steps:

1️⃣ Get granular: Project monthly retirement spending—housing, healthcare, taxes—then subtract guaranteed income (Social Security, pensions).

2️⃣ Max the easy wins: Capture every employer 401(k) match, and funnel bonuses into catch-up contributions ($30,500 limit if you’re 50+ in 2025).

3️⃣ Hedge taxes: Consider Roth conversions this year while current brackets last; 4️⃣ request a “bracket-fill” analysis from a CFP®.

5️⃣ Longevity risk check: If you don’t expect to work past 65, run a scenario to age 95; annuitize only what covers non-negotiables like Medicare premiums.

🌎 Community & Environment

8,500-Acre Wildfire Triggers 3,000 Evacuations in Ocean County, NJ

  • Ignited Tuesday morning in Greenwood Forest WMA—10 % contained as of 6 a.m. ET

  • 1,320 structures at risk; several local businesses destroyed

  • 25,000+ customers lost power; drone ban issued to protect water-bucket aircraft

  • Smoke plume drifting north—air-quality alerts likely for the Jersey Shore & parts of NYC later today

Your Next Steps:

* Residents: Pack a “10-minute go-bag”—IDs, chargers, meds, N95 masks—and bookmark the NJ OEM alert page for real-time zone changes.

* Small-biz owners: Contact insurers now; commercial-property claims move faster when photos and inventory lists are time-stamped.

30-Second Highlights

  • 🚘 EV shoppers: Tesla’s own inventory page shows some trims marked down up to 15 % this week—worth a look before the next price adjustment. Check inventory - Electrek

  • 🧮 Retirement checkup: Create or refresh your my Social Security account to verify earnings and projected benefits—takes five minutes. Set yours up - Social Security

  • 🌬 Air-quality alert: The AirNow Fire & Smoke Map delivers zip-code-level AQI; set push alerts if smoke from Ocean County drifts your way. View map - AirNow Fire and Smoke Map

Enjoying these concise, real-world insights? If it’s useful, feel free to pass it along. New readers can sign up for weekday briefings that turn headlines into smarter money, health and career moves.

Stay informed—see you tomorrow.