A MoneyLion study broke down what you need to save monthly to retire comfortably, state by state. The range? $1,582/month in West Virginia to $7,458/month in Hawaii. The median US wage is ~$63,000/year. Even in the "cheap" states, the math barely works. In most states, it flat out doesn't. And that's WITH Social Security, which nobody should be counting on as a sure thing. So what's the move? Praying you die before the money runs out is not a strategy. What actually is: -> Invest early. Time in the market beats everything. -> Build income streams beyond your 9-5. -> Use AI to upskill and earn more. The tools are free. The excuses aren't. The retirement system was designed for a different era. The average person needs to build their own way out.(Lark Davis)