Time for a new game.
Most people see a problem with the player — you.I see a problem with the game.
The book
The Future Poor
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Interactive tool · From Fernbridge Advisors
Build Your Magic Circle
See your whole financial life in seven rings, from the center out.
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Stop trying to fit a broken game.
Most Americans are unknowingly on a road to living at or below the poverty line after their working years. It isn’t you. It’s the game.
Who are the Future Poor?
Sub-50
/ Sub-150
Under 50 years old. Earning under $150k a year.
9 of 10
in the sub-50/sub-150 are on a path to becoming The Future Poor.
The Death of “Retirement”
“Death will come for this version of retirement one way or another. My hope is that it is because we have changed course.”
It would please me greatly to see the current experiment with retirement come to an end. I do not believe we can look back and say that it has been good for people to have adopted an entitled view of retirement.
Unfortunately, we do not have a viable replacement because our social and economic systems aren’t there. Furthermore, we know that conventional financial advice will not get us off the road to becoming The Future Poor.
What is the point of financial strategies that few can do or simply do not work?
Death will come for this version of retirement one way or another. My hope is that it is because we have changed course and altered our projected destination. That vision of the future is hopeful and brings me great joy for it will be a sign of human flourishing in new and dynamic ways.
If it is not us that puts it to death, it will be the extreme failure and economic troubles that await us in a few decades that will cause us to wake up and realize we had a problem all along.
The Future Poor
Keeping people out of poverty stands as chief among ethical issues. The Future Poor anticipates a future income crisis given our current approach to retirement and examines the necessary actions to keep future generations out of poverty.
Podcast
What’s Up With Money?!
Jonathan Grimm & Ryan Roope are filling in the gaps between outdated 1980’s financial advice and magic social media strategies.
Listen on Apple Podcasts →- Sep 3, 2025The Holy Grail of Distribution
- Aug 6, 2025Hot Takes on Social Media Posts
- Jul 23, 2025The One, Big, Beautiful(?) Bill
From Jonathan
Writing
About Jonathan
Jonathan Grimm
Financial Ethicist · Author of The Future Poor · Investment Advisor · Founder of Fernbridge Advisors
Hey! I’m Jonathan.
From a young age I have been concerned with the deeper things in life. My education is in Moral Philosophy (ethics) and I hold a Master’s in Theological Studies.
Finance has always found me. From running large teams in hospitality and food & beverage to running operations for a large non-profit, I knew money and people and philosophy would come together.
Since 2019 I have been working to bring change to an industry that has set most people up to be poor in their senior years.
How I work
Trained in ethics, philosophy and theology and licensed as an Investment Advisor, I look for what actually helps people thrive in this world, then we build the financial strategies together to get there.
I look at the data, not just rates of return.
This is a complete juxtaposition from the regular financial and retirement industry.
The Grimm News · Let’s Fix Retirement
Let’s face this together.
I’m Jonathan Grimm and the message of The Future Poor matters to millions of Americans facing a looming retirement crisis. Get new writing, The Grimm News and book updates in your inbox.