I think all of us have to think about this, and be ready for it. I imagine after 55, I might have to exit the industry and work some menial job to not blow my 4

I think all of us have to think about this, and be ready for it. I imagine after 55, I might have to exit the industry and work some menial job to not blow my 401K. But in the meantime, plan your life accordingly. Pad your 401K, pad your Roth IRA. No one is coming to save you. For younger people, this is even more dire, as the safety net will quickly deteriorate over the next few decades. I would imagine if you really keep up and keep your skills fresh, and you are a good engineer, you can probably find a job maintaining some crap legacy software that no one wants to touch. It's not glamorous, but it will still pay the rent.