By Mark Norton 8/6/2014

A few days ago we posted an article describing the impending retirement crisis the US is facing as millions of boomers prepare to enter their golden years unprepared for the financial challenges that retirement brings. On the same day we published our article, CNBC was publishing an article exploring the same topic.

CNBC describes the challenges that William Kistler, a 63-year-old faces as he approaches retirement age. “It’s completely frightening, to tell you the truth,” he says.

The article continues on to talk about how the rising income inequality that has already stretched the social fabric of the country to the breaking point will be exacerbated by the flood of boomer retirees. Those at the top who have benefited from the great rise in wealth and productivity of the nation will be carefree, while the bottom 90 percent will be burdened with constant fear of how they are going to survive.

A common theme in the American mythos is of the self-reliant person who pulls himself up by his boots straps. We love to think of ourselves as living in a meritocracy. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Despite often cited counter-examples, for the most part it is very difficult to get ahead if you are not already ahead. The social mobility borne of hard work and ingenuity of previous generations is simply not sufficient anymore.

The first step in solving a problem is admitting you have one, and the American dream has a big one. President Obama just days ago gave a speech in which he told the CEOs of the nation to stop whining: They are doing fine in an economy that has largely recovered for those well-off enough to feel it. For the vast majority of us, he recognized, the recovery hasn’t come yet. He claimed that America needs to ensure once more that hard work and talent are fairly rewarded. Nice words, but empty.

The fact of the matter is that success is often enough not about hard work, or even ingenuity; frequently enough, it’s simply recognizing a good thing and taking hold.

Right now, that good thing is Bitcoin. If every soon-to-be retiree, every single mother, every down-on-his luck employee scraped together a few hundred dollars and bought a fraction of a Bitcoin, they would be investing in their future far better than starting a business or going back to college. They would be investing in a better future not only for themselves, but a future where more people benefit from the wealth of the nation equitably, a future where people don’t have to worry about what the government or the banks are doing with their money since they control it themselves, or they can find out, a future where their savings will grow in value just because they save.

For American’s, visiting Coinbase is one of the easiest ways to get started. I urge everyone out there to learn just a little bit about Bitcoin, to buy just a fraction of a coin, and to tell everyone they know that they have invested.

Kistler says of himself and retirement, “I, like a lot of people, try not to think about it too much. And that’s part of the problem.” I agree, but also think that if people knew something they could do to ease their situation, they would grab hold.

Bitcoin.

The author is not a financial professional and his opinions are his own. Anyone thinking of investing in Bitcoin should research it thoroughly before doing so.