--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the difficulties in getting to the…" description: "\"One of the difficulties in getting to the bottom of the poor prospects for retirement is that the policy and intellectual elites, including corporate l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/hedrick-smith-19137_bottom_one-of-the-difficulties-in-getting-to-th_883743.jpg" --- # One of the difficulties in getting to the bottom of the… ![“One of the difficulties in getting to the bottom of the poor prospects for retirement is that the policy and intellectual elites, including corporate leadership, who are dealing with this problem, rarely have the same difficulties as the great majority of middle-income Americans.” quote by Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/hedrick-smith-19137_bottom_one-of-the-difficulties-in-getting-to-th_883743.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/hedrick-smith-19137_bottom_one-of-the-difficulties-in-getting-to-th_883743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/hedrick-smith-19137_bottom_one-of-the-difficulties-in-getting-to-th_883743.jpg) > “One of the difficulties in getting to the bottom of the poor prospects for retirement is that the policy and intellectual elites, including corporate leadership, who are dealing with this problem, rarely have the same difficulties as the great majority of middle-income Americans.” [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Retirement policy is shaped by elites who don’t share the everyday challenges of most middle‑income Americans. **In simple terms:** Policy makers differ from average people. Key Takeaway Consider diverse perspectives in policy. Themes policy inequality retirement Mood critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - legislative hearings - financial planning - advocacy groups Key Concepts economic disparity elitism public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can policymakers better understand average citizens? - What reforms could bridge this gap? A Different Perspective Elite viewpoints may overlook practical solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Retirement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retirement/) ## Related quotes > [“There are very few intellectual elites and those who think they are, are merely not and those who are not shows us the intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/there-are-very-few-intellectual-elites-and-those-who-think-they-are/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [In my view, suburbia in general has very poor prospects. I think it will only become devalued and probably more dangerous. 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But you know there comes a time where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-funk/i-m-not-gonna-squeal-out-that-this-is-my-23rd-retirement-my-real-real/) [Terry Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-funk/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) ## More by Hedrick Smith > [“Overall, more than fifty-nine thousand factories and production facilities were shut down all across America over the last decade, and employment in the core…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/overall-more-than-fifty-nine-thousand-factories-and-production/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [“We are literally Two Americas, remarkably out of touch with each other— the fortunate living the American Dream but lacking any practical comprehension of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/we-are-literally-two-americas-remarkably-out-of-touch-with-each-other/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [The most common mistakes were investing in money market funds by people who were so scared at the prospect of managing their own funds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/the-most-common-mistakes-were-investing-in-money-market-funds-by/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [“Translating cold numbers into a graphic picture of the hard economic realities in the lives of ordinary people is a challenge. In the 1990s,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/translating-cold-numbers-into-a-graphic-picture-of-the-hard-economic/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [Less money for retirees means less purchasing power means less economic growth overall. It's a big problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/less-money-for-retirees-means-less-purchasing-power-means-less/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [Journalists cover words and delude themselves into thinking they have committed journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/journalists-cover-words-and-delude-themselves-into-thinking-they-have/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [One of the strongest lessons I learned in doing six months of work on retirement topic was how absolutely crucial the Social Security system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/one-of-the-strongest-lessons-i-learned-in-doing-six-months-of-work-on/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [“Two trends are primarily responsible for today’s hyperconcentration of wealth inAmerica— the collective decisions over time by America’s corporate power elite to take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/two-trends-are-primarily-responsible-for-today-s-hyperconcentration/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [The main problems are insufficient diversification and the failure to pick age-appropriate strategies - that is, more aggressive when you're younger, and more conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hedrick-smith/the-main-problems-are-insufficient-diversification-and-the-failure-to/) [Hedrick Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hedrick-smith/) > [It really depends upon how much money you have in your account. 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