We were all looking forward to a retirement filled with our dreams of travel, owning our ideal homes, taking the courses that we never had time to take while we were working, golfing and fishing, and so much more. Yes, we were really dreaming then and no one could have blamed us for doing so. We figured that we would have earned it all by the time that we were ready to retire but who could have forecasted what started to happen late last year?Who could have foretold that in the matter of just a few months all of our dreams would come crashing down and by the time this is all over retirement would be adopting a new meaning?There was a time that the word retirement meant the fulfillment of dreams unrealized but these days this cherished word now means continuing to toil away just to keep one's head above water. I am afraid that the reality is going to be very different for the majority of us by the time this is all over. A new and more somber reality is going to take the place of golden dreams; one that will probably be comprised of working longer and harder, more funds needed to fulfill those dreams of ideal homes and once in a lifetime trips, plus more careful financial planning to satisfy the needs of both parents and kids. Yes, a more harsh reality is awaiting us at the end of this tunnel. I am going to leave you with a very insightful reference to check out. One that will introduce you to the new reality of the future. Please see below. Mark Miller: After the Crash, a New Realism Emerges About RetirementBy Mark Miller The huge generation of baby boomers now approaching retirement has been forced to stop kidding themselves. Housing values and stock prices won't appreciate forever.