Hey, it’s Louis.
Somebody I know said something to me recently that stuck with me.
"It's too late for me."
Take a second to feel that brother.
They weren't saying this about lawmen closing in on them. Or about a gang of ruthless ninja’s hopped up on Snirkle Pops hunting them.
This was spoken about retirement.
Yeah, they're in debt. Yeah, they're in their 50s. And in their head the math is already done, and they’ve been sentenced to life without the possibility of retirement.
👀 IN TODAY'S STASH
Why "it's too late" is the easiest lie to tell yourself
The actual numbers on what catching up looks like after 50
Where this newsletter's going for the next few issues, and why
🌳 THE SHADE
If you're reading this thinking "yep, that's me," fear not my brother, you're not alone and you're not stupid for feeling it.
Debt is a sneaky little shit that piles up one purchase at a time, and if you're stuck in that machine long enough, that pile grows into a mountain that seems well… insurmountable.
That feeling is real. The conclusion you're drawing from it ain't.
So grab some shade and let's get into it because "It's too late for me." is calling the game when it’s second and five and there’s still time on the clock.
🌰 THE NUT
Let's do the math the IRS actually gives you, because it's better than most people think.
In 2026, if you're 50 or older, you can put $32,500 a year into a 401(k), that's the normal limit plus the catch-up the government specifically built for people like us.
Turn 60 through 63 and it jumps again, up to $35,750. That's the government looking at people who started late and saying "here, we widened the door for you."
Add an IRA on top and you're allowed another $8,600 a year past 50.
Nobody's saying maxing those out is easy from where you and I are sitting right now.
If you're carrying debt, this ain’t happening tomorrow.
But "not easy" and "too late" are not the same sentence, and the second will earn you a “Liar, liar, pants on fire.”
Unless you’re 106 and then you may have a point.
There are things that are just as important as contribution limits.
Retirement isn't a light switch that's either on or off at 65. It's a runway, and runways can be built shorter or longer depending on what you're willing to do with them.
Work two more years instead of stopping at 65.
Move somewhere your dollar stretches further.
Downsize the house you're paying too much to heat or cool.
None of that is the fairy tale version of retirement you see on TV, but none of it is "work till you die" either.
There's a range of possibilities between "retire at 62 with a yacht" and "work till I die," and almost everybody living in "it’s too late for me" hasn't actually looked at that spectrum.
Retirement is not black and white.
Don’t just assume the only two options are the dream and the nightmare.
That's what the next few issues are about.
Not scolding you for the debt and not pretending catching up is effortless.
We are going to take a hike through the actual terrain, because right now you're not making a decision, you're avoiding one… two totally different things.
🐿️ THE STEP
This week, do one thing.
Write down your age and one number, how much you currently have saved for retirement across everything, 401(k), IRA, savings, whatever counts.
Just that.
Don't judge it. Don't spiral on it. Don’t go outside and kick your neighbor’s prize winning tulips in a fit of rage.
Just get it written down somewhere you'll see it again.
Next issue, we're going to use that number, so don't lose it.
Until the next Stash, protect your nuts, brother.
