‘I feel betrayed’: Florida residents working past retirement age share economic frustrations

Florida has built a reputation as a retirement paradise, but for some residents preparing for life after work, the current economy paints a much bleaker picture of the future.

MS NOW sat down with a group of six workers in the state who are already working past the legal retirement age of 67, or say they plan to.

“We have robots downtown delivering food. We have way more cars with no drivers, and there’s way too many jobs that doesn’t require a human being,” said Florida resident Bobbi Derrickson, 67, a gig worker who now makes bracelets to help make extra money.

One 2025 analysis by Vanguard found that fewer than half of those saving for retirement are on track to maintain their current lifestyle, and a 2025 Gallup poll suggests that up to 40% of Americans have no retirement plan at all.

“When do you retire? You’re not sure anymore because when is when is enough enough?” Juan D’Arce, who works in private investigations, said. D’Arce, 55, says he plans on working well past retirement age.

“The fastest-growing group of homeless in Miami-Dade County for many years has been older people,” Max Rothman, CEO of the Alliance for Aging, told MS NOW. Rothman is 86 years old and lives in the Miami area.

“In my opinion, older people are the No. 1 priority at this point because there’s so many, and they are on these fixed incomes, they’re not going to be able to fend for themselves. They’re going to need long-term care, and there’s no one out there to provide,” he said.

Stanley Rigaud, 60, works at PortMiami and told MS NOW he is considering leaving the Miami area for a more affordable retirement community. He blames the Trump administration’s work overseas for the affordability crisis facing Floridians.

“You can easily point to this war that is senseless to me. I think the tariffs have not been very helpful at all to a lot of companies,” Rigaud said. “At the end of the day, it’s consumers that are paying for that.”

The aging of elected officials has also been a point of debate with voters, who have begun calling for age and term limits to usher in a slate of politicians who are closer connected to the current needs of Americans.

Rothman disagreed with the concept of age limits, saying, “People should be judged based on their capability, not on their age. One person at 65 may be incompetent, and another person at 85 might be terrific, might be very competent.”

D’Arce said he believes there should be term limits for everyone except U.S. Supreme Court justices.

“I know the younger generation feel that maybe some of the older people are sort of out of touch with with the current environment or the way the economy is running now, but you know I think they only look at it from their viewpoint only, and not from people who are experienced,” Rigaud said.

Panelists had mixed feelings about where the state of the American dream stands, a concept they have seen evolve and change over decades.

Here is how they now define it: “Work hard, dedicate yourself, be true to thyself and try to enjoy your life,” D’Arce said.

“The American dream is to work and retire, and enjoy your family and go on vacations, but I don’t think that’s the American dream anymore because nobody can afford to do that,” Derrickson added.

“The American dream I think is still there, but it’s on vacation,” Rothman said.

The post ‘I feel betrayed’: Florida residents working past retirement age share economic frustrations appeared first on MS NOW.