What do we do if everything we've worked for suddenly goes up in flames?

We hope that someone will help us to rebuild our lives.

In two sentences, that's the message of this book by personal finance expert Jonathan Grimm who just experienced that kind of life-threatening trauma when he and his family lost their California home and their entire neighborhood without warning in a raging wildfire. But there's hope even after such a disaster, if we remember and reclaim some of our core community values.

We all can use such practical and inspiring wisdom now because the main crisis Jonathan Grimm warns about in these chapters is larger than the devastation of any fire or other natural disaster. The larger crisis that is shared by millions of still-young American adults is a looming retirement crisis. Due to deep flaws in our retirement system, individuals and families who assume they'll sail smoothly into those retirement years, instead, will fall below the poverty level. Even as the 2025 wildfires swept over his own home, Grimm had been researching and documenting the scope of this coming retirement crisis. In the year before his family was forced to dash from their home, he was just completing this book to show readers pragmatic solutions that can save our communities.

Then, he found his family's neighborhood bursting into flame and saw families like his own fleeing with only what they could carry in their cars. Suddenly, Jonathan Grimm found himself, his wife, and their children relying on the same network of personal, family and community services that he encourages his readers to recognize and strengthen. We all will need those resources in the years ahead, he writes.

Through vivid storytelling, historical analysis, and actionable solutions, The Future Poor:

Explains how the traditional retirement model became unsustainable.

Identifies the systemic barriers that prevent millions from achieving financial security.

Offers practical and ethical strategies for individuals, congregations, and communities to address this crisis collectively.

Reimagines retirement as part of a broader vision of social and communal health that takes seriously the values of quality healthcare, community support, and shared responsibility.

Whether you're a policy maker, community leader, or individual seeking a sustainable path forward, The Future Poor is your guide to navigating and solving the retirement crisis. The problem is grim. The solution is not. Together, we can redefine retirement and build a future that works for everyone.

Are you prepared for the looming retirement crisis? To whom will you turn if you suddenly lose everything? Today, we're facing more than flames—and together we can weather the crises as they come.