That's because retirement nest eggs, whether in the public or private sectors, have been in dire circumstances since at least as far back as the 2008 Financial Crisis, and there are no credible signs of correcting them anywhere in sight. 

THIS factor – the ailing pensions platforms in the US and abroad – is therefore where the rubber meets the road in terms of viable economic performance, not how well the Dow Jones or S&P indices – or how cryptocurrencies, even – are doing.  In fact, despite record runs in securities markets over the past nine years – something routinely touted by governments and their corporate press tentacles as "proof" of an economic recovery from "The Great Recession" – equivalent percentage rises in allocated pension investment schemes haven't matched.  A core dilemma facing many pension funds now is how to protect themselves from blowing up without in turn bankrupting the cities, municipalities and other entities that pay into them in order to provide for their workers' retirement needs!!!