• Top Democrats are urging the Social Security Administration to halt plans they say would make firings easier.
• SSA's acting commissioner said the agency would reclassify some employees, making termination easier.
• SSA is already facing a shrinking staff amid federal cost-cutting, causing alarm for recipients.

Top Democrats are urging the Social Security Administration to scrap plans that they say could make it easier for agency employees to be fired by DOGE. It's the latest push from the party's "Social Security War Room."

In a Friday letter exclusively obtained by BI, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, and Kristen Gillibrand called on new SSA Commissioner Frank Bisgnano to immediately stop any action that would reclassify staff members to a new category labeled Schedule F or Schedule Policy/Career.

The move would give the White House more control over the hiring, firing, and management of SSA employees by categorizing some as "policy-influencing" — a designation that means workers who were civil servants before, with the protection that affords, would become at-will, and are therefore able to be terminated more easily.

"Converting these SSA employees' status is a deliberate maneuver to make it easier to get rid of critical SSA staff, endangering the program and the benefits earned by millions of Americans," the senators wrote.

An April internal email sent by former acting commissioner Leland Dudek, who helmed the agency during its transition to Bisignano's full-time stewardship, said that senior executives, some advisors, and staff of certain offices within the agency should be reclassified as policy-makers.

Dudek told BI in a statement last week that the Trump administration is getting rid of "unnecessary bureaucracy" within the agency that "will deliver on President Trump's promise to protect Social Security by providing the high-quality service and stewardship that the American people expect and deserve."

The SSA said the ongoing staff cuts are part of a"workforce optimization plan that focuses on reducing employees in non-mission-critical positions and bolstering staff in mission-critical roles."

Turbulent times at the Social Security Administration

The agency operates America's largest social safety net, ensuring that 73 million older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income households receive their monthly benefit checks. Since President Donald Trump returned to office, federal cost-cutting efforts have hit the agency hard, contributing to historically low staff numbers and a slew of anxious baby boomers. Organizations like the AARP have also sounded an alarm about the agency's crumbling customer service.

In addition to older Americans worried about benefit disruptions, BI has heard from current and former SSA employees in recent months who are worried about losing their livelihoods and described the "chaos," "stress," "confusion," and "fear" they feel working at the agency under DOGE. And, while White House policy changes will not impact the monthly checks beneficiaries receive, several of the employees BI spoke with warned that continued staff cuts may cause delays in processing paperwork and Social Security claims.

"We're at the tip of the iceberg; this is just going to get worse and worse and worse," Jill Hornick, a field office employee of 33 years and administrative director for AFGE Local 1395, previously told BI, adding, "I don't think the Social Security that we know is going to be something we'll see again."

The senators said a potential reclassification to Schedule F would put employees at greater risk of losing their jobs. They asked Bisignano to halt planned reclassifications and to restore any employees who had already been made Schedule F to their original civil servant status.

"By indiscriminately making senior officers and rank-and-file employees at will, you are politicizing Social Security," they wrote. "Americans receiving their earned benefits is not a political call — it is a right."

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• Economic-slowdown concerns are prompting Americans to rethink their retirement plans.
• Financial advisors and researchers advise older adults to keep working and delay taking Social Security.
• This is the final installment in BI's six-part series on making major life decisions during this period of massive change.

An uncertain macro environment makes now a difficult time to make major retirement decisions. Dozens of older Americans have told Business Insider that in recent months.

They're worried about a recession, staff cuts at the Social Security Administration, their 401(k)s amid market volatility, and inflation exacerbated by tariffs.

The primary drivers of these concerns — the unpredictable and ever-fluctuating policy initiatives of President Donald Trump — are a far cry from the comparatively placid approach of his predecessor. It's created a difficult set of circumstances for older Americans.

We're looking at the steps people at or near retirement age can take to safeguard their nest eggs and investments. Detailed below is what financial advisors, researchers on aging, and retirees told us about making major choices about retirement in 2025.

Delay retirement if you can

For those who can continue working and saving, now may be a good time to extend their retirement timeline, said Wes Battle, a Certified Financial Planner at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.

BI has spoken with older Americans who are doing just that: choosing to delay retirement by a few years or return to part-time work.

"Many people have never even calculated what it would cost to retire and what their retirement income would be," Battle said. "Just looking at these things is a step in the right direction."

Because of a hiring slowdown and economic uncertainty, it may be best to hang on to your job a little longer, if you have one, Battle said.

And if you do decide to retire soon, you can try to go back to work if your financial needs change. Unretirements are increasingly common: LinkedIn Economic Graph reported about 13% of baby boomers on the platform returned to the workforce in 2023 — which was a five-year high.

Consider holding off on adjusting investments and taking Social Security

On the finances front, Battle said he'd seen a recent increase in clients who are worried that current economic conditions will hurt their retirement nest eggs.

"That's the crux of all of this: 'Am I going to be OK?' And that could be different for everybody," he said.

While it can be tempting to make changes to your 401(k) or investment portfolio in times of volatility, Battle advises riding out the market.

BI has heard from retirees who swear by this hands-off approach. Some said they continued to save through 2008 and other recessions — instead of adjusting their investment strategies — and now feel secure in their retirement assets.

Besides 401(k)s, Battle said individual retirement accounts could also be a great way to build savings, even if you can afford to save only small amounts at a time.

As for Social Security, Battle said that it's best to delay claiming benefits until you reach full retirement age, which is typically 67, and can receive a higher monthly check. Still, many older Americans have told BI that relying on Social Security as their primary source of income is not enough and they still need to work, at least part time, to pay their bills.

Make sure your 'longevity planning' goes beyond finances

Madonna Harrington Meyer, a sociology professor who works with Syracuse University's Aging Studies Institute, said that cultivating a healthy social life is just as important as saving money when it comes to retirement planning. That's because even the best-laid retirement plans can be derailed by a divorce, the loss of a spouse, medical bills, job loss, or other unexpected expenses. Whatever your life circumstances, a strong support system in retirement is crucial.

So even if you aren't sure whether you can retire, you can work on your community, which might involve pursuing hobbies, moving to live near family, and investing in friendships. Harrington Meyer said that continuing to work part time, volunteering, or caring for grandchildren could also be social outlets. Working on your relationships can also give you a sense of agency, which is valuable in uncertain times.

In a survey from AARP and the University of Michigan, one-third of older adults of all income levels reported feeling lonely sometimes or often in 2024. Harrington Meyer said loneliness could worsen during economic downturns because people are less likely to spend on social outings.

That's why a holistic retirement strategy, or what Joseph Coughlin, the director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, calls "longevity planning," is so important.

"Yes, it's about how much money you've saved — but it's also about all those other little things that make you smile and contribute to quality of life," he previously told BI. "That has to be planned as much as your 401(k) or whether you've had your annual checkup."

Harrington Meyer said that community is a key part of physical and mental health, especially during an economic downturn.

"What's going to be most important to you?" she said. "And then try to build your retirement around that."

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• House GOP leaders will vote on a $230 billion cut to nutrition programs over the next decade.
• Federal nutrition programs include SNAP, which about 42 million people rely on to afford groceries.
• Predominantly Republican states with high SNAP enrollment may be hit hardest.

One of the nation's largest social safety net programs could see major changes as President Donald Trump looks to fund his agenda. And, it's most popular in red states.

With a majority in Congress and support from the West Wing, GOP leaders will decide future funding for a slew of federal programs, including food stamps. House Republicans proposed at least $230 billion in cuts to federal nutrition programs like SNAP — which nearly 42 million Americans rely on to afford food — over the next decade.

The most significant policy change the House Agriculture Committee has suggested would require nondisabled adults without dependents to fulfill work requirements until they reach age 64 to qualify for aid, up from the current cutoff age of 54.

Some Republicans have defended the proposal, saying that it supports Trump's goal of reducing waste in government spending. It's unclear if the budget cuts would reduce the monthly grocery benefits that households receive. Still, advocates say less funding and stricter work requirements would make it more difficult for millions of families to put meals on the table alongside high grocery prices.

In an X post, the House Committee on Agriculture wrote on Monday that "Our budget reconciliation text restores SNAP to its original intent —promoting work, not welfare — while saving taxpayer dollars and investing in American agriculture."

White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told BI that "President Trump and Republicans are strengthening SNAP so it can be sustainable for generations to come." She said the proposal will prevent "waste and exploitation," encourage states to share nutrition program costs with the federal government, and "restore commonsense Clinton-era work requirements."

The House will continue discussions on the bill and vote ahead of Speaker Mike Johnson's Memorial Day deadline.

Republican states could feel the brunt of SNAP cuts

Scaling back SNAP could have real consequences for low-income households. While the money can't be used to buy household goods, it can be a parachute for families who need support affording produce, protein, and other grocery essentials. Monthly SNAP amounts can range from less than $25 to over $1,000, depending on a household's income and number of members.

"We still have birthdays to celebrate," Judith Murray, a parent who receives $1,174 in monthly SNAP for her seven-person family, previously told BI. "We still have Thanksgiving to do and other holidays. When you see me out there buying a birthday cake with my SNAP benefit card, just try to understand that I don't want to let my little ones down any more than you do."

Per data collected by the US Department of Agriculture, about 12% of Americans received SNAP benefits in 2024. In several states that voted for Trump and Republican representatives — like Louisiana, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Alabama — that enrollment figure rises up to nearly 19% of the state's population.

This comes as Americans' overall reliance on government aid is increasing. Per a 2024 report from the Economic Innovation Group, funds from programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and Social Security accounted for about 18% of total personal income in the US in 2022, a 9 percentage-point increase from 1970.

Of course, regional economic disparities aren't new, and they don't fall neatly along political lines. Some predominantly Democratic-voting states like Oregon and New Mexico have above-average rates of SNAP enrollment. Food insecurity also isn't an isolated issue: states with high government aid use tend to have higher poverty rates, higher unemployment, and more limited healthcare access. Many of these financial disparities are long-standing and have a more severe impact on people of color or other marginalized communities.

SNAP also isn't a perfect system. Americans with a low income have told BI that they lean on other resources like food banks because their SNAP allocation isn't enough to pay their grocery bills. Others limit their work hours to ensure their income doesn't exceed the program's qualification threshold — which is around $15,000 annually for a single person, but varies slightly by state.

As congressional leaders move toward a vote this month, government data shows that Republicans' constituents will feel the brunt of any SNAP changes more than other political parties. A group of eight GOP representatives led by Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales penned a letter to Speaker Johnson in February, urging the party leader to advocate for "programs that support working-class Americans."

"While we fully support efforts to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, we must ensure that assistance programs — such as SNAP — remain protected," they wrote.

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• Barrett and Shiraine McLeod spent $18,000 on IVF, which they paid for with insurance and an HSA.
• The McLeods said fertility treatments have become more expensive with their second child.
• IVF costs in the US range from $15,000 to $30,000, with insurance coverage varying by state.

Shiraine and Barrett McLeod love being parents. They live in western Connecticut with their toddler, Lejend, who asks them constant questions about spaceships, gravity, and the fish in "Finding Nemo."

"This kid blows our mind every day, and he's only two," Shiraine said.

The couple, who are in their late 30s, experienced an increasingly common path to parenthood: in vitro fertilization. Over 86,000 infants were conceived through assistive reproductive technology like IVF in 2021, the latest data available from the US Department of Health and Human Services shows. The number of Americans using fertility treatments to conceive is rising, but the procedure is costly. One round of IVF without insurance can range from $15,000 to over $30,000.

This comes as reproductive healthcare access is caught in political crosshairs. Barrett said they were undergoing fertility treatments around the time that the Alabama Supreme Court declared that frozen embryos are people, a ruling that threatened IVF access nationwide: "It was scary," he said.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February aimed at "aggressively reducing out-of-pocket" IVF costs for Americans, although the White House has not provided additional details on how the policy would work. Separately, the Trump administration has slashed women's and maternal healthcare programs across the US. And, in April, the administration floated policies to encourage people to have more children, including a potential $5,000 baby bonus for every American at the time of delivery.

Even with the federal policy limbo, the McLeods said IVF is an important resource for millions of families like theirs.

"There's a lot of people out there who really, really want kids, and they don't believe that they'll ever get to have them, because IVF is probably the only option and they believe that they can't afford it," Shiraine said.

The McLeods told BI about their experience navigating fertility treatments and their top tips for others. They recently found out that Shiraine is pregnant with their second baby via IVF — a little girl — and they couldn't be more excited.

An HSA and insurance helped the McLeods pay for IVF

The McLeods knew fertility treatments would be expensive. Embryo implantation might not work on the first round, and the cost of doctor's visits, blood screenings, genetic testing, and embryo storage quickly adds up.

Shiraine works for the New York state government and is their household's primary source of health insurance. Barrett works remotely in management and consulting and takes care of Lejend when he isn't at daycare. Together, the couple said they make a comfortable, six-figure income.

"We were just so excited about the possibility of having a child, we didn't really think too long and hard about how much it would cost us at the end of the day after insurance," Shiraine said.

While Shiraine said her insurance covered about 90% of their roughly $18,000 in medical bills to conceive Lejend, the couple had to add regular doctor and testing copays into their monthly budget. She added that some of the procedures she's undergone this year to conceive their daughter have been noticeably more expensive than when she and Barrett first started IVF in 2021: "Initially it was $50 a month to continue freezing the eggs," she said. "Fast forward to today, it's now $75 a month."

Shiraine would tell other Americans thinking about IVF to open a health savings account. Saving $266 a month of pre-tax money in an HSA has helped her cover out-of-pocket costs without stress, she said. She also encouraged others to ask both their insurer and fertility clinic for a potential price breakdown before beginning the IVF process.

"There's certain general things that everyone does with IVF, and there's things that are tailored to your situation," Shiraine said. "If you can get a breakdown from both your insurer and clinic, it helps you plan out what could be covered and what might not be covered."

Dr. Cynthia Murdock, a Connecticut-based reproductive endocrinologist, and the McLeods' provider, added that many of her patients are surprised to learn that they have fertility coverage through their employer or state insurance. In Connecticut and New York, for example, insurers are required to cover some IVF treatments.

"We try to do as much as we can to help people navigate the insurance so they don't have to be stressed about that in addition to being stressed about not getting pregnant," Murdock said.

Beyond finances, Shiraine and Barrett told BI about the emotional impact of fertility treatments. As Caribbean Americans, the couple said they faced some stigma from family members about pursuing IVF because it is outside cultural norms. Shiraine said her mother was skeptical of them publicly talking about their "private" infertility experience. Between the ages 25 and 44, 15% of white women seek infertility treatment, compared to 8% of Black women, per the most recently available National Institute of Health data.

But, after seeing the positive reactions the McLeods were receiving from friends and on social media, Shiraine said her mom praised her for being so open about IVF, adding that it was a "beautiful" moment for their family. The couple said that they continue to share their story to help others experiencing infertility feel less alone, and they're thrilled for Lejend to become a big brother later this year.

"As a woman, in terms of reproducing, I doubted my body a lot," Shiraine said. "I'm so happy to finally have a kid. Going through this process gave me that opportunity."

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• Staffing at the Social Security Administration is at a historic low.
• Nearly a dozen SSA employees told BI that morale has tanked among Trump cuts and rising boomer demand.
• Employees warn that understaffing could lead to delayed checks for beneficiaries.

Edwin Osario believes there's a "sense of nobility" in his work at a New York-area Social Security office. For over three decades, he has answered phones, taken meetings, and helped ensure that thousands of retirees and people with disabilities receive their monthly checks.

"People who are downtrodden, people who are aged, people who just became recently disabled or widowed — they come here because we're the last stop," he said. "We're the salvation."

Lately, however, it seems to Osario like the agency he's "cherished for many years" no longer wants him. It's not personal to Osario; the Trump administration is working toward its goal of reducing spending by cutting 7,000 Social Security Administration employees through office closures, return-to-office mandates, and deferred resignations.

Business Insider spoke to nearly a dozen current and former employees who used words like "chaos," "stress," "confusion," and "fear" to describe working at call centers and field offices every day. While Social Security remains immensely popular among Americans, with the majority thinking the country should spend more money on it, beneficiaries are taking out their anxieties on workers. They've flooded field offices and phone lines, overloading an already-stretched staff. Those who remain at their desks are concerned about the effect of the cuts on their ability to complete the work that ultimately provides monthly checks to 73 million Americans.

Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek told BI in a statement that the Trump administration is getting rid of "unnecessary bureaucracy" within the agency that "will deliver on President Trump's promise to protect Social Security by providing the high-quality service and stewardship that the American people expect and deserve."

The SSA told BI that its staff cuts are part of a "workforce optimization plan that focuses on reducing employees in non-mission-critical positions and bolstering staff in mission-critical roles," adding that there will be no disruptions in service for beneficiaries.

With cuts ongoing, the pressure is mounting on the roughly 50,000 SSA workers who will remain to keep the nation's largest safety net afloat— and tensions are bubbling over.

"We feel like we're the enemy," he said.

What it's like to work at Social Security as cuts collides with a wave of boomer retirements

Social Security field office employees described two main parts of their job. There are the tasks the public sees: the hours they spend on the phone answering beneficiary questions or taking in-person meetings. Then, there are the more complex and time-consuming tasks that happen behind the scenes: completing paperwork, reviewing means-testing documents, updating bank information, and more.

Recent staff reductions mean workers have less time and resources to complete this crucial work. A pilot program at some field offices to give employees more time for these tasks was canceled this spring, and staff members involved said they received little communication from leadership about why.

Osario said he feels that work anxiety "stays with you at your dinner table" with family and friends. Jill Hornick, a field office employee of 33 years, said she regularly receives phone calls from colleagues "crying because they don't know if they're going to be fired," and a customer service representative said "when you're taking on so much sadness, it creates a level of sadness in you as well."

Call center employees don't have the same paperwork responsibilities, but Shaunellia Ferguson, AFGE Local 2014 president and a longtime customer service representative, said the demands of her role have grown, too. Call volume for the SSA's 1-800 number has jumped in recent months, causing frustration among beneficiaries and raising alarms with AARP and lawmakers. An increasing share of callers have gotten a prerecorded disconnect message when they tried to reach a representative.

"A loss of seven to eight thousand employees is a huge crush, and the public is going to see worse than a two to three hour wait time — that's going to increase exponentially," another seasoned customer service employee told BI.

A BI analysis showed that the number of beneficiaries has grown much faster than the SSA's staff in the last few decades. That comes as a wave of baby boomers prepares for retirement, with many in the peak cohort set to be reliant on Social Security as their primary income.

While it's also not unheard of for a White House transition to prompt leadership and policy shifts at the SSA, several employees told BI that this time feels different. The most recent changes came as a surprise to many, as SSA staff were left out of the initial round of federal firings, and the president previously said he "would not cut one penny" from the program.

Prior to Trump taking office, employees said, their workload could be overwhelming, but now they are experiencing what one called "the most chaotic period in my 40-plus years that I've been here."

"We've never seen something of this magnitude," Laura Haltzel, a former Social Security associate commissioner, said, adding, "We have never seen anything this intentional, this effort of cutting — beyond cutting — to the bone."

Employees also feel left in the dark about the new in-person ID requirement the administration has introduced to fight fraud, which makes up less than 1% of Social Security's improper payments. The SSA rolled back the ID requirement multiple times before officially enforcing it in mid-April. Some employees said they didn't receive training about it.

Several employees told BI they have learned about staff reductions and other updates from news reports, not SSA leadership. This also comes as acting commissioner Dudek is likely to be replaced by Trump appointee and finance industry executive Frank Bisignano, which employees feel both hopeful and apprehensive about.

One customer service representative said they hope Bisignano will "see the big picture here that the constant barrage of whippings towards federal employees isn't productive."

As customer service crumbles, the stakes are high for employees and beneficiaries

Social Security's monthly checks are pivotal in keeping seniors, people with disabilities, and lower-income households out of poverty.

As the need for it grows and SSA staff numbers shrink, employees told BI morale within the agency has tanked.

This is coupled with personal safety fears, especially if desperation grows among beneficiaries: "It's a potential tinderbox of people getting irate because of having to wait a long time," SSA General Committee Spokesperson for the AFGE Rich Couture said, adding, "You're looking at a potential security risk."

Beyond the emotional toll on staff, employees said that the Trump administration's changes to the SSA could have material consequences. As time and resources disappear, some employees warned that it will take longer for beneficiaries' claims to be processed.

There have not yet been any reports of delayed or missing checks, and none of the White House's cuts or policies at the SSA are expected to impact the amount of money beneficiaries receive. But several employees emphasized that there is a risk of delays if staffing conditions don't improve.

Any delay in checks would be catastrophic for beneficiaries like Linda Hudak, 71, who relies on Social Security for all of her income and receives SNAP benefits for food. "It's very depressing," she said.

The SSA employees BI spoke with feel a heavy weight on their shoulders. Some took a job at Social Security because they're veterans looking to serve their country in a different uniform; others are beneficiaries themselves who say the checks are important for their own livelihood. Most told BI they feel the public service mission they signed up for is falling apart — and they're worried it won't recover if Trump's cost-cutting efforts continue.

"We're at the tip of the iceberg," Hornick, who is the administrative director for AFGE Local 1395, said. "This is just going to get worse and worse and worse. Humpty Dumpty has fallen off the wall, and all the king's men can't put them together again. I'm sorry I'm in a very pessimistic mood, but I don't think the Social Security that we know is going to be something we'll see again."

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• Akaisha and Billy Kaderli retired early to travel the world.
• When Akaisha was diagnosed with cancer, the couple sought affordable treatment in Mexico, Vietnam, and Thailand.
• They aren't alone: rising US healthcare costs have pushed some Americans toward medical tourism.

When Akaisha Kaderli was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer while traveling the world with her husband, Billy, the couple had to make a decision.

They could give up the nomadic lifestyle they've been living for more than 30 years and travel back to the US to navigate treatment through Medicare Advantage. Or they could pay out-of-pocket for healthcare abroad. They chose the latter — and Billy said he never left his wife's side.

"She was a trooper about it," he said. "I watched her every night and every morning."

The early retirees said their jetsetting "isn't a vacation, it's a lifestyle." And, prior to Akaisha's diagnosis, they spent most of their days trying new cuisines in Southeast Asia and lounging on Italian beaches.

A serious medical diagnosis can derail careful retirement planning. Business Insider has heard from dozens of older Americans who spent their 401(k) savings on medical bills, went into debt, or returned to work so they could afford care. For older people with limited savings who primarily live on Social Security, the cost of unexpected doctors' visits and prescriptions can be devastating.

As healthcare costs continue to climb in the US, some Americans are opting for "medical tourism." Whether it's for elective procedures or lifesaving treatment, people like the Kaderlis are looking for ways to afford healthcare without breaking the bank. While data is limited, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that millions of Americans seek healthcare in another country every year — most commonly to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean.

"We're 72 and we've had a great life," Akaisha said. "I'm not looking to die, but I wasn't going to spend my money on hospitals and drugs."

The Kaderlis sought cancer treatment abroad to save money

Akaisha and Billy say they were early adopters of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement and have continued to maintain wealth through long-term investments and low-budget living. Before retiring in their late 30s, Akaisha ran a restaurant while Billy held jobs as a chef and in a brokerage firm. They invested most of their money in the S&P 500 and, when they stopped working, began traveling — often living for months at a time in low cost-of-living countries.

The Kaderlis said they kept an American health insurance plan through their mid-50s so they could receive care in the US if they needed it. Most US-based insurance doesn't work abroad, and they kept the plan as a safety net for any serious medical needs. They later enrolled in Medicare Advantage around the time they qualified for Social Security at age 62.

But when Akaisha was diagnosed with cancer, the couple said they quickly decided to avoid the American healthcare system. They don't know exactly what cancer treatment would have cost them in the US with Medicare, but Billy said he's confident the choice saved them money, and it "would have taken much longer to go through all the hoops" of finding in-network providers. Stage three breast cancer treatment in the US typically costs over $100,000 — and even patients with insurance can be left with steep bills to pay.

For a total of $18,807 out of pocket, Akaisha received diagnostic testing in Thailand, follow-up exams in Vietnam, mastectomy surgery and radiation in Mexico, and some recovery care in the West Indies. Her treatment regimen lasted a few months from the day of her diagnosis.

"I wanted to live my life, and so I took the cheapest option," Akaisha said. "This is the option we would have taken anyway, but I don't like the idea of spending $100,000 or $200,000 on a medical procedure when I can get a wonderful type of care for $20,000."

Now, Akaisha is done with her treatment and is recovering. She and Billy don't plan to slow down their lifestyle anytime soon: they're living in Arizona for a while before spending the summer in Mexico and Thailand, the colder months in the Caribbean, and the spring in the Mediterranean.

"It just gets better and better," Akaisha said. "This is the life we were meant to live."

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• Elon Musk announced his plans to step back from DOGE to focus more on Tesla.
• BI spoke with 17 federal workers about what a possible Musk retreat would mean.
• Several said they hope they no longer have to send Musk's weekly "What did you do last week" email.

Whether or not Elon Musk actually steps back from the West Wing, federal workers want to know one thing.

"Can we stop sending this weekly email now?" an employee at the Internal Revenue Service asked.

Business Insider spoke to 17 federal workers after the Tesla CEO said on a Tuesday earnings call that he hopes to devote more time to the company because the "major work of establishing" DOGE is complete.

Several referenced the "What did you do last week" email required by Musk's DOGE office since February. Many said they're skeptical that Musk will forfeit his White House influence. Even if he does, some said Musk's legacy will live on in DOGE through cuts to the federal workforce and government budget. Others are simply hopeful they'll have one less weekly email to send.

As a special government employee, Musk is only legally allowed to work for the Trump administration for 130 days a year. Still, the federal workers BI spoke with said they expect him to continue making political headlines.

"My reaction is 'I'll believe it when I see it,'" a programmer at the IRS said, adding, "I believe the richest man in the world has hacked his way into the most powerful government in the world, and there is nobody to stop him from keeping that access, even if he looks 'gone' on paper."

A former employee at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that they aren't taking Musk's announcement seriously. An employee at the Office of Personnel Management added that Musk's vow to step back seems like "PR spin."

Other federal workers said that, even if Musk does leave DOGE, his actions will have a lasting impact on the government and its staff.

"The effect he's had on the federal government can't be as neatly defined as quarterly earnings reports," the OPM employee said. Several workers expressed concern over reports that DOGE and Musk have access to sensitive information like internal government databases and Americans' Social Security details.

Some reflected on the anxiety that DOGE's federal firing spree has caused in their own lives. A few said they are constantly worried about losing their livelihood. Federal workers who voted for Donald Trump and support his money-saving goals have also previously told BI they felt betrayed by Musk's abrupt mass firings of what DOGE called "low performers."

"There is a methodical way to downsize, and I'm all for right-sizing to meet current events," a Department of Agriculture employee said. "The way Musk and his team have handled and are continuing to handle the situation is harmful to federal workers (who are real people with families), harmful to American institutions, and ultimately harmful to the American public."

A Department of Defense employee hopes Musk's stepping back will give them "a little relief" about their job security.

And then there are the possible effects on their day-to-day work. Several federal workers told BI they hope Musk's departure signals the end of his "five bullets" email. It's unclear what Musk and his colleagues do with the information or if it has directly led to any employee firings.

"I have to look and research and see what I did — that's 10 minutes that's wasted," one Social Security Administration employee said, adding, "I could be spending my time more efficiently doing other things." Another IRS employee said they send nearly the same email every week.

Musk said on Tuesday's Tesla call that he will still spend a day or two a week on government matters, "as long as it is useful" to the president. When reporters asked Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday about Musk's departure, he said that Musk "is an incredible guy" and "was a tremendous help both in the campaign and what he's done with DOGE." Neither Musk nor Trump elaborated on Musk's future role in the administration.

The possible DOGE shake-up comes alongside plummeting first-quarter Tesla earnings. The electric vehicle company's earnings per share and revenue were down 71% and 9% year over year, respectively. Musk said last month that his role in the White House is "costing me a lot" and that he's running his businesses with "great difficulty." With news that he could be retreating from Trumpworld, Tesla's stock was trading up over 5% after hours and jumped again Wednesday.

One federal employee said they aren't surprised Musk is leaning back into his CEO role. They said working in the government is likely "too much trouble for someone who is trained to see things as engineering problems."

• Nancy Neff, 72, enjoys a travel-filled retirement funded by a strong 401(k) and savings.
• Neff still lives frugally, choosing budget travel and cutting unnecessary costs where she can.
• Boomers who are financially comfortable in retirement are a minority: many live on paltry Social Security.

The day after she became eligible for Medicare in her mid-60s, Nancy Neff prepared to board a transatlantic cruise to kick off her retirement.

Roughly a decade later, the 72-year-old Connecticut resident is spending her days taking traditional lace-making classes in Belgium. Soon, she's set to take a train to Paris — she's never been and there's an antique lace auction she's eager to attend. She's already crossed Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, and Chile off her list of places to visit.

"I was very concerned about being an impoverished old lady trying to live on her own and not having anything beyond Social Security," she said. "I kind of went overboard and saved more than I needed to."

Americans' retirement can take many different shapes. Business Insider has heard from thousands of older adults, with some barely scraping by on Social Security and others who worry they'll outlive their savings. There's also a cohort like Neff who, through savvy investments or high-paying careers, are spending their golden years without much financial anxiety. About 40% of American millionaires are over the age of 65, per the most recently available Federal Reserve Bank's Survey of Consumer Finances.

Neff said she can afford her lifestyle because she built a strong 401(k), started saving at a young age, and doesn't financially support friends or relatives. She said she retired with over $1 million in savings. And, though she receives a few thousand dollars in monthly Social Security, she doesn't rely on it to pay bills.

"I can't say I would have done much differently," Neff said, adding, "I'm in pretty good shape."

With a healthy nest egg, Neff travels in retirement

Neff had a long career in academia and computer programming, and said she worked her way up to a six-figure salary. Beginning in her 20s, Neff said she began contributing to her 401(k) and consistently saved roughly a quarter of her monthly income. She occasionally traveled prior to retirement, but always kept her budget tight.

By the time she was planning to stop work, Neff was surprised by how much she managed to save. She said her strategy of not trying to "play the market" with her investments allowed her to weather multiple recessions. Additionally, putting her savings in compound interest accounts and a diversified mutual fund helped her build wealth more quickly. "It's all very classic advice," she said.

Neff said she now has enough money to comfortably afford essentials and travel expenses, and Medicare covers most of her healthcare needs. Still, she is mindful of her spending and has always lived below her means. She said she chooses cheap transportation options, sticks to a food budget, rarely stays in fancy hotels, and has tried camping for low-cost accommodations. She also cuts her own hair and buys secondhand clothing.

"I don't really need a marble bathtub," she said. For her, traveling in retirement isn't about living "extravagantly," it's about trying new experiences. She still saves money everywhere she can.

BI has heard other stories like Neff's: baby boomers with more money than they can spend, Gen Xers and millennials who save up to retire early, and Gen Zers who take 'mini retirements' as a career break. However, the group of financially comfortable retirees is in the minority.

AARP reported last year that one in five Americans over 50 doesn't have adequate retirement savings, and data from the nonprofit United Way's United for ALICE program shows that roughly 42% of people of all ages either live paycheck to paycheck or below the federal poverty line, which is $15,650 annually for a single person.

As for Neff, she anticipates she'll return to the US soon to get a knee replacement, but she hopes to travel as long as she's able. She said she owes her lifestyle to decades of careful money management.

"I've been very lucky — I had enough wits, I was sharp enough to be able to get a degree and work at a challenging job," she said, adding, "but my advice is not just contingent on being lucky."

Do you have a story to share about retirement? Reach out to this reporter via email at [email protected] or on Signal at alliekelly.10

Brianna DeWitt didn't want to be a stay-at-home mom.

The 35-year-old loves her job: She spends mornings on the early shift as a physical therapist in Oahu, Hawaii. The rush she gets working in a hospital every day makes her years of intense medical training worth it.

So when her first baby was born in 2023, DeWitt did her best to make space for her career alongside her new role as a parent. Working part time seemed like the best of both worlds; she could still get the satisfaction that came from her job, and the scaled-back hours would allow her to spend time with her son and cut down on childcare bills. But then DeWitt realized that reducing her schedule below full time would disqualify her family from healthcare coverage and make her ineligible for an employer-matched 401(k).

"My husband was self-employed," she told me. "So I was trying to hold down the fort as far as our health insurance benefits went." He recently switched to a corporate job so the family could have stable coverage, and DeWitt could continue splitting her schedule between the hospital and their baby, "That was really important to us," she said.

DeWitt's dilemma is shared by parents and caregivers across America. Unlike other developed countries, the US offers few legal protections for part-time employees, meaning that people who typically work fewer than 30 to 34 hours a week are left at the mercy of their company's policies. At a time when many millennials are starting families, a shift to working part time could be a perfect solution for new parents to stay connected to their careers while attending to the needs of their children. While some companies like Starbucks and UPS offer benefits to part-time workers, for most people, stepping back from full-time work can mean losing out on healthcare coverage, paid leave, and fair wages.

"It could be the same position, the same qualifications, but you have one worker working full time and one worker working part time, and they are given different access to benefits, eligibility for promotions, or even paid differently based on hourly wages," Laura Narefsky, a senior attorney at the National Women's Law Center, told me.

At a time when the job market is cooling and businesses are keen to keep valuable employees around, conversations with economists, policy analysts, company leaders, parents, and caregivers made it clear that expanding workers' ability to adjust their hours is a winning idea. Companies that allow parents to work part time could retain experienced talent and save money on hiring. And letting more parents, especially mothers, stay connected to the workforce could be a path to economic growth as a whole: Nearly 3 million part-time workers are parents with children under 6 years old. America has a long way to go in terms of making the labor force flexible — but improving part-time opportunities is not only possible, it has overwhelmingly positive implications for the US job market.

Over 29 million people in the US work part time — roughly 18% of the total American labor force. Employees might choose a part-time schedule for a variety of reasons: They could be parents or caregivers who need to be home to look after a loved one; some are students trying to make ends meet while they finish a degree; others are retirees, people with disabilities, or people working multiple jobs. What all of these part-time workers have in common is a lack of federal protections.

Full-time employees in the US are guaranteed some basic rights, such as paid leave and access to company benefits. But once you dip below that roughly 30-hour-a-week threshold, employees don't have the same safeguards. Workers told me that can lead to unpredictable schedules and tight budgets. Part-time workers are about three times as likely as full-time workers to hold a low-paying job, and many live near the federal poverty line. In a 2020 report, the Economic Policy Institute found that part-time workers are paid nearly 20% less per hour than their full-time counterparts in the same industry and occupation. And that doesn't include the money part-time workers lose if they don't have access to benefits.

Julie Gagne, 63, cobbles together part-time and gig work to make ends meet while caring for her ex-husband, who is quadriplegic. She is a delivery driver near her home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and often earns less than $20 an hour. It's enough to cover basic essentials, but she hasn't been able to build any savings and the job can be "physically exhausting," she said.

"Candidly, I have not had health insurance in a very, very long time," she said, adding, "I'm very healthy, but obviously if something catastrophic happened, I'd be screwed."

This level of economic uncertainty is particularly acute for parents. As the cost of childcare has skyrocketed in recent years, outpacing salaries in some cities, many have been left in a bind. The lack of options hits moms especially hard. Deborah Singer, the chief marketing officer at the advocacy and research organization Moms First, said that mothers and female caregivers are most likely to drop to part-time hours or leave the workforce altogether. About six in 10 part-time employees are women, and working fewer hours can have long-term consequences.

"That's not just a penalty that women are going to pay when their child is young," Singer said. "That's going to impact their entire career, their retirement savings, and our economy more broadly."

Having access to a flexible schedule — without having to make major financial sacrifices — would be a game changer for millennial parents, allowing more of them to stay on the career ladder when their kids are toddlers or in preschool. Right now, though, many have to choose between a steady paycheck and time with their family.

Jessica Cuevas, 35, lives in Chicago with her husband, their preschool-aged son, and toddler. After her first child was born, Cuevas knew she wanted to hang on to the successful career she'd built in academia. To save on childcare bills, she switched from a full-time role in college admissions and education policy to a part-time job as a college counselor for a nonprofit. The move helped her stay in the field she's passionate about, but she said she lost her access to employer healthcare and retirement plans. Her pay is unpredictable month-to-month, and she hopes to return to full-time work as soon as her youngest son goes to school.

"I became a mom, and as much as I wanted to be there for my family, I also didn't want to lose myself," she told me, adding, "I'm very frustrated with companies and employers for putting the load directly on mom: What if she also wants to grow? What if she also wants to scale up? What if she also wants to get paid more than her partner?"

The lack of protections for part-time workers makes the US an anomaly compared to many of its peer countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and Spain. In the Netherlands, for example, part-time workers are required by law to have the same access to benefits, time off, and pensions as full-time employees. Not extending these rights to part-time workers in the US isn't just a burden on the individuals, but it's also holding back the nation's economy as a whole. Kathryn Anne Edwards, an economist who studies the labor market and economic inequality, said providing more rights for part-time employees could boost the American labor force.

"Our labor market is much meaner and exclusive than people realize," Edwards told me. "Our labor market is very much like, 'If you can't hack it, you're out' at the expense of people's participation."

Take the Netherlands: As of 2023, the country's labor-force participation rate was 73%, with a slightly higher rate for men (76%) than women (68%), largely thanks to the prevalence of part-time work. At the end of 2023, the US labor-force participation rate was 62.5% with a sharper gap between men (68.2%) and women (57.3%). Historically, when more people are working, there are positive downstream effects like higher consumer spending and more movement in the labor market.

"What the US labor market needs is a 'glow-up,'" Edwards said. But it's unlikely that laws protecting part-time employees will be passed at the federal level anytime soon. A Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights — which would ensure that all part-time employees have access to paid leave and other benefits — was introduced in the House in 2023, but the bill has gone nowhere.

Still, companies can take steps to protect part-time workers, even without government involvement. UPS offers pensions and some healthcare coverage for part-time employees, and Trader Joe's offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, along with access to a 401(k) for most part-time employees. The moves aren't just a moral imperative for these companies, they also have material benefits for their business.

In a March report for BI using data from 400,000-plus small and midsize businesses, the business research firm Gusto found that the average job tenure for part-time workers with healthcare benefits is 39 months, compared to 36 months for full-time workers and 23 months for part-time workers without healthcare benefits. Employees who had access to paid vacation time and retirement plans were also more likely to stay at their companies than those who didn't. When experienced talent stays at a company, employers don't have to spend money to fill open roles.

In recent years, Starbucks has implemented similar part-time work benefits. It offers full tuition for full- and part-time employees pursuing a degree, parental leave for part-time employees working at least 20 hours a week, 401(k) matches, and healthcare coverage. A spokesperson for Starbucks told me that most of the company's barista employees are part time. The spokesperson said employee retention at the chain is at its highest level since the pandemic, and the company believes its benefit policies play a big role in that. The spokesperson said the company has seen a boost in traffic to its Careers webpage since its enhanced parental leave policy for full- and part-time workers began on March 1.

Jamie-Lee Kapana, 33, is a barista in Oahu and has a 13-year-old son. She's been working part time at Starbucks since he was a toddler. Kapana said that with past service-industry jobs, she struggled to find the flexibility she needed as a new mom while still paying the bills. Starbucks' health, 401(k), and other benefits have been a game changer for her family, she said.

"I decided to leave the restaurant job and commit to Starbucks because of the health benefits, job flexibility, and consistent hours," Kapana told me. "One of the biggest advantages was being able to work just 20 hours a week to receive these benefits, not just for myself, but also for my son."

More white-collar industries are leaning into part-time work as well. A June report from the hiring platform Indeed found that part-time job postings in sectors like beauty and wellness, marketing, and communications rose by up to 27% between 2022 and 2024. Still, higher-paying sectors like insurance, law, and finance remain heavily tilted toward full-time roles.

A more accessible workforce is a win-win for employees and employers. Companies can retain talent, and parents can achieve a healthy work-life balance. Plus, as Edwards told me, "more workers equals a bigger economy, full stop."

Allie Kelly is a reporter on Business Insider's Economy team. She writes about social safety nets and how policy impacts people.

• Americans are dealing with a palpable sense of uncertainty about the economy.
• Most react to money fears in three ways: fight, flight, or freeze.
• Which are you? Identifying your reaction can help regain a sense of control when anxiety strikes.

Job applications, panic buying, and tuning out the news: Which one's closest to your reaction to economic anxiety?

"We want the economy to keep rolling smoothly in the background while we live our lives," Joseph Coughlin, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab told Business Insider. "So when we see this great uncertainty, it only adds to the stress that we're already trying to manage."

Coughlin said that many people cope in three ways: fight, flight, or freeze. In other words, Americans' money anxiety mirrors their natural reactions to other fears.

In recent months, BI has heard from dozens of Americans who are dealing with uncertainty regardless of their age, financial situation, or political affiliation.

The US isn't in a recession yet, but most of the people we spoke to are worried about short-term price increases, their student loan payments, or their 401(k)s. Some fear a more dire scenario of job losses and a downturn in the months to come.

Amid flip-flopping trade policies, stock market fluctuations, and DOGE cuts, consumer sentiment fell again in April, reaching its second-lowest level since 1952. Consumer spending trends indicate households are feeling the heat of high prices and tariffs.

If you feel powerless in the current financial environment, focus on what you can control and be aware of your own natural fear reaction, said Bradley Klontz, psychologist and professor at Creighton University's business school. He added that the US economy has faced downturns before and always recovers.

"We have a fight, flight, freeze response," Klontz said. "You need to point it in the right direction."

Do you have a story to share about your finances? Fill out this survey.

People in 'fight' mode are busy making plans

Those with a fight mentality toward uncertainty are working hard to make plans. As Coughlin said, they are likely calling their financial advisors, reading news articles, saving extra money, and doing anything else they can to prepare for a potential downturn.

Robert Kistler, 71, retired a decade ago from his career as a product engineer. He and his wife built a seven-figure net worth and strong nest egg, but they're working to dial back their spending. With the long-term future of the Social Security trust fund in question and current staffing turmoil at the Social Security Administration, Kistler said they aren't confident benefits will support them as they age.

"It turns out our annual spending is roughly 20-25% more than in our plan — I am certain this is going to impact our retirement plan confidence level somewhat," Kistler said, adding that he met with his financial advisor this month to make a plan.

Similarly, 65-year-old professor Gail Lisenbard recently paid off her car and started grooming her mini golden doodle at home to save more money. She hopes to retire in the next few months and said she's carefully planned her nest egg, but is now concerned about rising prices.

Younger Americans are taking action to protect their finances, too. Millennial mom Jen Miller had planned to buy a new car before May because her family has a third baby on the way, and they need more room. But, concerned about new tariffs on auto imports, she moved up her timeline because she's worried US car inventory will decline: "We certainly felt spurred into action," she said.

Haylee Bachman, a 30-year-old mother of three near Seattle, said her family lives on a low income and receives some government aid, but their budget has been especially tight lately. Her fiancé's job in car manufacturing became less stable in recent months because the industry is in turmoil with the auto tariffs.

Bachman said she's teaching herself to bake bread, cinnamon rolls, and other kitchen staples from scratch because it's cheaper and has visited food banks to pick up groceries. She's trying to save enough to afford rent and pay for activities like soccer and tumbling that make her kids happy.

"I know that things could get very bad for us since we are low-income and a one-income household," she said. "I'm not sure what the future holds, so I'm just trying to make those tiny changes."

People with a 'flight' reaction make snap financial decisions

A "flight" reaction to economic turmoil can take a few different forms. To protect their finances, Coughlin and Klontz said people with this response are likely panic buying or pulling their investments out of the stock market — snap financial decisions that may not be the wisest, but make people feel better in the moment. Coughlin refers to it as the "I need to get out of here" feeling.

BI has heard from teachers cashing out their pensions, families with tariff nerves overstocking their pantries, and investors primed to sell at the first sign of trouble. Some Americans are considering literal 'flight' — they're moving to other states or countries to escape high costs or policies they disagree with. Others are anxiously stepping back from newspapers or social media to tune it all out.

Klontz said when people get scared, "our survival brain tends to take over."

"Our instincts are great if we're being chased by a rabid dog," Klontz said, "but our instincts are not good when it comes to investing and spending." He advised people to avoid major or impulsive purchases where possible.

Still, Olivia Iverson, 28, doesn't regret choosing to "panic buy" a new MacBook laptop in early April. She pulled the trigger because many laptops are imported from China, and tariffs are likely to raise prices. Trump has since announced a pause on tariffs on electronics for now.

"A laptop is a one-time purchase," Iverson said, adding, "there's some stuff people panic buy that you're going to have to keep buying week to week, even if prices of these items change."

A flight response can lead to moves and major purchases, but it can also be a much-needed emotional break. As a busy mom balancing a household budget, Bachman said she often turns off the news. She said it can be stressful to constantly be on alert for changes in politics or the economy that might affect her family.

"I try to take care of myself as much as possible, just because I can't be the best mom without doing that," she said. "I do self-care, skincare, like face masks, or I sit in silence. That's a big one. I just sit in silence, in the dark sometimes, and just relax."

People who 'freeze' don't know what to do with uncertainty

The most common reaction to economic uncertainty is freezing, Coughlin said. Freezers are looking at the economy — the tariffs, stock ups-and-downs, the tough white-collar job market, and DOGE cuts — and they don't know what to do.

The slow job market has left Christopher Smith's financial plans on ice. The 41-year-old has been looking for a job for about two years, but hasn't found the right fit. He's trying to stay optimistic, but he's "admittedly terrified" of what will happen to his employment prospects if there's a recession. He's taken on a roommate to help with bills.

"I am begging the universe to send me a job ASAP," he said. "I really hoped to be working by now, and I am slowly drowning under my finances."

Michael Salvatore, similarly, isn't sure what to do next. He operates several bars and coffee shops in Chicago. His businesses are at risk of higher costs on everything from eggs to coffee beans. He said he's put all kinds of decisions on hold, including hiring and opening a new location.

"Especially as a small-business owner, the unknown makes it impossible to have a vision that you can execute on," he said, adding, "I'd rather the market crash and know that, 'hey, we're on a level playing field."

Rebecca Walriven-Lawson, 74, is also feeling stuck. She recently lost Medicaid because her Social Security cost-of-living increase put her over the qualification threshold. Without health insurance, she can't afford the surgery she needs to walk comfortably. She isn't sure what to do next.

"There's nothing for any of us to do but wait," she said.

• AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps are bracing for cuts, throwing members' career planning into doubt.
• Volunteers told BI they thought their service would be a launchpad for future opportunities.
• Many said they don't have clear backup plans, especially with the difficult job market.

Javon Walker-Price was squashed in a van on Wednesday afternoon, driving from Nebraska to Iowa, when the news came: His group of AmeriCorps members was being sent home.

By Thursday, Walker-Price's whole crew had to be on planes. They were only three months into a ten-month service contract and had been preparing to go to Minnesota to fix cabins and trails at a campground.

"It happened so fast," Walker-Price, 20, said. "One minute we were working, and the next minute we were told to pack our bags and come back to Iowa as soon as possible to get on the flight. It took everybody by surprise."

Walker-Price is just one of the thousands of AmeriCorps volunteers who are dealing with — or bracing for — the firings that have decimated many other federal agencies. Members of the White House DOGE office visited both AmeriCorps and Peace Corps headquarters earlier this month, throwing the agencies' futures into question. A representative for the Peace Corps told BI that while the agency is subject to the federal hiring freeze, "volunteer recruitment activities continue," and no staff have been cut.

Founded in 1993 and 1961, respectively, AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps enroll hundreds of thousands of young adult volunteers each year domestically and abroad. They receive a stipend for living expenses to do a range of service work, from environmental conservation to education, in local communities. Those who complete their service can also get educational grants for graduate school or to pay off student loans. The experience is often a launchpad for a career in public service. Now, members waiting to see if they get the chop are worried their careers will falter.

"They should not be dumped out unceremoniously into a job market that is not prepared to receive them," said Curt Ellis, the CEO and cofounder of FoodCorps, a nonprofit that works with about 150 AmeriCorps members each year. A current AmeriCorps staff member said the competition in the job market "is just going to be insane for everyone."

Business Insider spoke to nine early-career AmeriCorps and Peace Corps members and full-time agency or partner organization staff about what the cuts mean for their futures.

The White House confirmed to BI that roughly 75% of full-time AmeriCorps employees were placed on administrative leave this week. The agency reportedly shut down a program that focuses in part on disaster preparedness, sending home all members and placing them on administrative leave. There's no clear timeline for when employees could return to work or be fired.

An administration official said that the staff shake-up comes because "AmeriCorps failed eight consecutive audits and is entrusted with over $1 billion in taxpayer dollars every year." Representatives for AmeriCorps did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The Peace Corps rep said the agency is in "full compliance with executive orders and other presidential actions."

'I don't know what I'm going to do'

Though most of the members BI spoke with had not been cut at the time of writing, all said they're bracing for the possibility

"The writing is on the wall," a 24-year-old Peace Corps member in the South Pacific said.

"The whole AmeriCorps community that I'm involved with is just anxious about if cuts do happen, how do we pay our bills?" a 26-year-old AmeriCorps member working in Texas said. "How do we keep moving forward with our lives?"

For many, AmeriCorps seemed like a solid entryway to a stable career path — the 26-year-old said they thought of it as a "stepping stone" to a permanent job.

Meredith B., a 28-year-old AmeriCorps member in Boston, said she took her job, in part, because of a shaky labor market. "I said, 'Oh, I'll work for the government in an almost unrelated position that still employs my skills. This will be safe.'"

"They're willing to hire people who don't have much experience, and they teach you all the skills you need in a very open environment where it's OK to make mistakes and not know what you're doing," a 22-year-old AmeriCorps member in North Carolina said. "By the end, you have those skills to go into whatever other career you're trying to go into."

Now, members are wondering whether their months, or in some cases years, of service will still set them up for success.

"I wish I knew," the Peace Corps member said about his contingency plan if his job gets cut. "It's rough because a lot of the off-ramps I would've had previously have now either been cut or have been severely negatively affected."

He wanted to work for the federal government or a nonprofit organization that received now-slashed federal funding. He's worried that the few government jobs that are available will go to older people with more experience and degrees.

"They are being flooded by very, very well-qualified government workers that I cannot compete with. So right now I don't know what I'm going to do."

Meredith B. said that she doesn't have any sort of safety net, like many other people her age. All of her belongings were ruined in Hurricane Helene — what she has left fits in the two suitcases she brought with her to Boston.

"That's all the things I own in this world now, except I bought a pair of pants recently," she said.

A path forward, suddenly blocked

A former worker at the agency who served under Obama, Trump, and Biden also said AmeriCorps set young people up for a career in service.

"I've seen it time and time again," they said. "That service connected them to a lifetime of continued commitment and impact."

It's not just future jobs that hang in the balance — many members of AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps use education grants from the programs to pay off student loans or get another degree. Libby Stegger, the founder and executive director of Civic Bridgers in Minnesota, which partners with AmeriCorps, said she doesn't know what would happen to members' education awards if funding is cut.

"That is something that is very appealing to folks of all ages, and especially to folks who are early career," she said of the education grants. "Particularly for people who might otherwise not have access to those kinds of education funding opportunities, that is a tremendous benefit."

The 26-year-old AmeriCorps member said he "wouldn't even consider" grad school if his education award gets cut, and the Peace Corps member said going to grad school with the money had been key to his long-term goal of working in the federal government.

Cuts are also rippling down to students who are still in high school or college. Elizabeth Baz, 18, applied to AmeriCorps for a gap year.

"I was really hoping that AmeriCorps would kind of help me just get my life together and help me gain some more self-discipline and more life skills," she said. Baz said she still plans to take a gap year but doesn't know yet what she'll do.

The AmeriCorps member in North Carolina said it's upsetting to think that younger people won't have the same opportunities she did. The AmeriCorps member in Texas said his service made him feel more American, and he worries his family won't have that same experience.

"I have here on my desk a picture of my little nephews," he said, choking up. "And I think about all the work that we're doing now is to potentially have that same space for them to also experience whenever they're my age."

By Thursday night, Walker-Price had made it home to Virginia, but he had trouble sleeping in the quiet. He had gotten used to the sounds of his AmeriCorps colleagues, who had become more like family.

"We planned on being with AmeriCorps for 10 months," Walker-Price said, "and just being sent home immediately, now it's like, what am I going to do?"

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• Now in or near retirement, three boomers told BI about their experiences navigating past recessions.
• The 2008 Great Recession taught them to better navigate both the stock market and personal uncertainty.
• "Sometimes you're going to have bad luck," one said. "We just sucked it up and started over again."

Lynn Benning, 67, said every financial downturn has hit her differently.

During the stagflation of 1980, she was in her 20s, single, and stressed out about affording rent on an entry-level income.

Amid the 2008 Great Recession, she was married and in her 40s. She and her husband rethought their assets and retirement prep. They'd just bought a house, couldn't afford furniture for it, and ended up selling it later at a loss.

In today's uncertain economy, she's forgoing major purchases and focusing on building savings. Having cash on hand and avoiding credit card debt helped her reestablish financial stability in the past, she said.

"Sometimes you're going to have bad luck," Benning said. "We just sucked it up and started over again."

It's some much-needed perspective after the stock market's hectic week driven by the twists and turns of President Donald Trump's trade war. Billionaires, CEOs, and Wall Street have signaled they're bracing for an economic downturn. Recession jitters have Americans of all ages saying they're holding off on big purchases, delaying family and job plans, and feeling the emotional weight of economic uncertainty.

With policy whiplash from the White House, BI spoke with three baby boomers about their experiences with past recessions, particularly the Great Recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis: how downturns shaped their finances, major life decisions, and how they approach setbacks. They told us what they learned — and what mistakes young people should avoid.

Don't make drastic decisions

When the housing market crashed in 2008, Nancy Neff was in her mid-50s. She had most of her investments in her 401(k), and though she was losing money in the stock market, she didn't touch her retirement account.

Now, the 72-year-old Connecticut resident's investments have weathered two major economic downturns, but she still managed to retire comfortably with a nest egg of over $1 million after a long career in academia and software engineering. She said she receives a few thousand dollars in monthly Social Security but doesn't have to rely on it to pay bills.

"I put money in a diversified mutual fund and ignored it. I didn't play with it, and I didn't try to time the market," she said, adding, "I'm in pretty good shape."

For retirees — and hopeful retirees — the peaks and valleys of the stock market have caused financial anxiety. Some Americans told BI that they lost tens of thousands of dollars from their 401(k)s in recent months, and others said they are rethinking their plans to leave the workforce.

Still, older Americans BI spoke with cautioned against making rash investment decisions. In the long run, it's best to leave investments as is and ride out any market volatility, they said. BI has heard this advice from financial advisors, too. Per IG Wealth Management, it took the S&P 500 about six years to fully rebound from the 2008 crash, but other downturns have been resolved quicker.

If you can afford to leave your 401(k) alone, Neff said it's the wisest thing to do.

"Have six months at least of savings so that if something happens, you're not cashing in your 401(k)," she said. "Whether that's something happening to you personally or something happening to the larger economy, have a cushion."

This is the time to look for any possible way to cut costs

Beyond having a cool and calm stock strategy, boomers told BI it's important to have cash savings in case of a recession. Having an emergency fund can offer peace of mind in case of job losses, unexpected expenses, or high consumer prices.

It may be tough advice for people who feel like they're living paycheck to paycheck, but boomers said if there is ever a time in life to try to cut back and save, it's ahead of a possible recession.

Gail Lisenbard, 65, is doing her best to build savings. She's a philosophy lecturer at the University of Colorado Boulder but teaches remotely from Naples, Florida. The 65-year-old and her partner have paid off their mortgage, but they're trying to cut costs due to recession fears.

Lisenbard's mindful spending strategy began after she lost her job in the 2008 recession. Since then, she has struggled to find a job that offers a high 401(k) match and has learned how to save as much money as possible on her lecturer income.

She said she paid off her car, which used to cost her $200 a month, and has saved an additional $300 by cutting back on dining out and entertainment. Lisenbard also tries to save money by grooming her mini golden doodle, Abby, by herself.

"I'm saving by making some really serious decisions about what I can do, what I can't do," she said, adding that she hopes to retire this fall.

Financial wisdom comes through ups-and-downs

Some of the baby boomers BI spoke with expressed regrets about navigating past recessions. Benning said she wished she hadn't bought a house before the 2008 market crash, and Lisenbard wished she had built a bigger nest egg when she had a job with strong benefits.

At the same time, all said their takeaways from past recessions taught them how to better navigate the stock market, savings, and major life decisions in periods of uncertainty. They hope the wisdom they've gained over time will help them recover faster from future downturns.

A couple of months ago, as federal policy was beginning to change under Trump, Neff said she added more money to her emergency fund so that she could ride out economic changes. She's done the same in other times of unpredictability, and she said getting a bank account with compound interest allows her to build up her savings quicker.

She now spends her retirement traveling the world. A decade ago, just after she stopped work, she said she boarded a cruise to Europe and still chooses cheap lodging and transportation wherever she goes —because you never know what the future holds. When BI spoke with her this week, she was taking lace-making classes in Belgium.

"Live well within your means when times are good so that when times are bad, you still have a cushion," she said. "And I have always had enough of a cushion."

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• 41 Social Security offices are cutting 25-58% of workers under DOGE's budget reductions.
• The agency faces increased customer service demand as retirees worry cuts will affect benefits.
• This comes as Trump hopes to combat fraud and cut costs at the SSA.

A Social Security customer service office in Wisconsin is cutting more than 58% of its workers in the coming weeks. It's one of 41 field offices where staff is being reduced by more than a quarter due to Trump's budget cuts.

That's fewer people to answer phones, handle in-person appointments, and process paperwork at a time when retirees flood the agency's phones and visit offices in droves due to concerns that the White House's cost-saving efforts will imperil their benefits.

Business Insider obtained and viewed the list of offices, which was on the Social Security Administration's website as of Sunday but is no longer visible. SSA has over 1,000 locations, but the White House's DOGE commission plans to close over 25 of them. Already, around 6 million seniors are 45 miles or more away from one.

"The times when you do have to go to the Social Security office are when, oftentimes, something really bad has happened to you," Bill Sweeney, AARP's senior vice president for government affairs, told BI. The nonprofit has also reported record call volumes from older Americans worried about their monthly checks.

Short-staffing at field offices comes alongside major changes for Social Security. In accordance with the Trump administration's cost-cutting goals for federal agencies, the SSA announced it would cut 7,000 employees out of a total of 57,000 — which would place the Social Security workforce at a historic low. New in-person identification requirements have offices bracing for a steep influx of visitors. As of April 9, nine field offices have also reverted to phone-service only, but those locations don't appear to have direct overlap with the offices facing a 25% or more staff reduction.

The SSA previously told BI that a recent return-to-office mandate will help ease customer service challenges. The Trump administration told BI changes at the SSA are because the president is a "responsible steward" of taxpayer dollars. Trump said new policies that the SSA will alleviate benefits fraud, which made up 0.84% of total improper payments between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, per the SSA's Office of the Inspector General. He has said that he will not cut benefits.

"The unnecessary loss of field office staff will place greater workload pressure on the remaining employees, which will further depress morale and likely induce more employees to leave, and so on," Rich Couture, the federal worker union's SSA General Committee spokesperson, told BI. "High attrition will lead to higher wait times and processing delays for beneficiaries, and will increase the risk of field office closures due to lack of staffing."

Staff reduction efforts also mean employees who remain at the agency are being asked to consider voluntary reassignments to "mission critical" positions at field offices and call centers. On April 3, employees received an email from the Human Resources department at the SSA. The email, which was viewed by BI, said staff had until April 7 to volunteer: "More than 1,000 of your colleagues have already stepped up to support our mission — but we need more of you to join them." It is not yet clear how many employees accepted the offer or what positions they will fill.

Low staffing is causing anxiety for beneficiaries

As field office staffing falls, demand for SSA services — or a desire to ensure benefits are secure — has taken hold among some recipients. The agency has seen its daily calls rise by 50,000 from February to March, and the agent busy rate, which tracks how many callers hear a prerecorded disconnect message when they want a representative, has skyrocketed. In a March 28th agency meeting shared publicly, a Social Security operations worker said 665,000 people visited field offices the week before — a "significant" influx of potentially concerned recipients. Recurring website outages are also making it difficult for beneficiaries to get help.

For seniors, this means a chicken and egg scenario: Concerns about Social Security are leading them to call in more and show up more, potentially leading to more work for a dwindling workforce. That could exacerbate anxiety all around.

When visiting a field office, people are "already stressed out," Sweeney said.

"Having to spend hours and hours fighting with the phones and having to drive long distances to an office just to prove things that you can prove over the phone — it just adds a lot of insult to injury here."

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• AARP says Social Security's service is deteriorating and urges the agency to rethink coming changes.
• The share of callers to SSA who got a prerecorded disconnect message surged between February and March.
• SSA faces staff cuts and office closures affecting service as the number of beneficiaries increases.

AARP is sounding the alarm on deteriorating service at the Social Security Administration and is calling on the agency to rethink the coming changes to identity verification that could lead to even more frustration for seniors.

In a letter to Leland Dudek, the SSA's acting commissioner, Nancy A. LeaMond, AARP's executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer, said that the nonprofit "continues to receive thousands of calls and messages from older Americans who are concerned about their Social Security."

LeaMond said AARP is "deeply troubled" by what it called "a startling and sudden decline in customer service," citing a skyrocketing rate of "agent busy" messages. That metric tracks the percentage of callers who got a prerecorded disconnect message. In February, the busy rate was 1.5%. In March, it shot up to 28.4%.

"I can't remember a case where we've had this many of our members calling about problems at Social Security," Bill Sweeney, AARP's senior vice president for government affairs, told BI.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, along with Sens. Mark Kelly and Ron Wyden, also sent a letter to Dudek on Monday, which BI obtained. The letter asked Dudek to address recently reported website crashes, beneficiary account errors, and service delays.

"This alarming episode raises fresh questions about operations at SSA and the effects of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s attacks on the agency, which you have helped facilitate," the senators wrote.

The letters come as the SSA faces staffing cuts, policy changes, and field office closures under the Trump administration. The agency announced in March that it plans to slash its 57,000-person workforce by 7,000 employees — which would place staff numbers at a historic low, despite the growing pool of Social Security beneficiaries.

The White House and DOGE also aim to close more than 25 offices across the country.

The SSA was spared from President Donald Trump's first round of federal workforce reductions this year. The president has previously said he "will not cut one penny" from the program.

Changes to Social Security's ID verification could make customer service even worse

SSA announced that it would require some beneficiaries to confirm their IDs in person if they need to update their bank information or file new claims. The new policy is expected to start in mid-April. It was originally set to begin at the end of March, but the SSA extended the deadline and introduced some tweaks.

SSA leadership said in an internal memo seen by Business Insider that offices could expect an additional 75,000 to 85,000 visitors a week in the coming months.

AARP has urged the agency to halt the changes or to extend the timeline to better communicate the new policy. Nearly 73 million Americans receive Social Security benefits.

The new requirement is part of the Trump administration's stated effort to reduce benefits fraud, though fraud is exceedingly rare, making up 0.84% of total improper payments between fiscal years 2015 and 2022, per the SSA's Office of the Inspector General. The White House told BI in a statement last week that "the previous fraud strategy has failed, and as a result, necessary changes are coming. "

The SSA did not immediately respond to Business Insider's comment request, but Sweeney said that SSA had acknowledged receipt of the letter.

"I think it's disrespectful if you've worked your whole life in this country, and you're supposed to be getting this money that you've earned — and you have to jump through all these hoops and all this red tape," Sweeney said.

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• Elon Musk and DOGE's push for federal cost-cutting has affected the Social Security Administration.
• Budget cuts and a growing beneficiary pool are straining SSA's customer service.
• Three baby boomers told BI what they think the White House could do to improve Social Security.

Debra Sutherland, 71, relies on Social Security as her only source of income. And oftentimes, it's barely enough to cover her essentials.

Sutherland and two other baby boomers said that, since Elon Musk and the White House's DOGE Commission have championed federal cost-cutting, they're worried about the future of Social Security. They shared their suggestions for Musk, which include strengthening the program's funding, improving customer service availability, and simplifying the technology.

"I do not want to sound blunt, but the only way to make Social Security better is to remove Elon Musk," said Sutherland, adding "There is not a day that I wake up and wonder when the government is going to mess with the only income I receive."

Sutherland and her counterparts' concerns come as the Social Security Administration's infrastructure is wearing thin thanks to recent budget cuts and a rapidly growing pool of beneficiaries. Musk and DOGE have targeted the SSA, leading the agency to begin reducing its workforce by 7,000 employees. The move will put SSA staffing at a historic low and has already contributed to dwindling customer service.

Additionally, the Trump administration's new in-person ID requirements — set to go into effect on April 14 — will also mean that some beneficiaries will have to physically go to SSA field offices to have their claims approved. In an interview with Fox on March 28, Musk said that DOGE's efforts are a means to modernize the agency and combat fraud: "Legitimate people, as a result of the work of DOGE, will receive more Social Security, not less."

Musk and Trump have both vowed to stop benefits fraud, which accounted for about 0.84% of payments deemed improper by the SSA's Office of the Inspector General between fiscal years 2015 and 2022. Musk has also said he wants to prevent people living in the US illegally from claiming benefits — something they are unable to do, despite contributing payroll taxes.

The White House told BI last week that "the previous fraud strategy has failed, and as a result, necessary changes are coming." The SSA said that the agency's five-day return to office policy will help prevent customer service delays.

Boomers want the White House to prioritize Social Security funding

Diane Campbell, 68, lives in Virginia and primarily relies on her Social Security income to afford essentials. She said many older adults like her are anxious about Social Security funding — and would like to see a more concrete plan from the federal government about protecting the program for future decades.

"Cutting all of this stuff is not going to make it better," she said, referring to staff cuts at the SSA. "We need to make sure that there's funding, then we can start working on how to utilize the funding."

Campbell is one of 73 million people who receive Social Security income. Beyond retirement benefits, Social Security also offers aid to people with disabilities and households living near the poverty line.

At $1.5 billion a year, Social Security is among the federal government's biggest expenditures. But as more baby boomers claim benefits, the program's funding is struggling to keep up. Without Congressional action, economists have warned that the benefits could start shrinking by the mid-2030s. Trump has previously floated that he may remove all taxes on Social Security, a policy that could save some seniors money in the short term but would drain the fund faster.

Campbell said that people with a higher income should pay more in taxes toward Social Security, a strategy that would help boost funding. In 2025, workers will pay Social Security tax on the first $176,100 of wage income. Per the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, a nonpartisan economic policy organization, eliminating the payroll tax cap would increase revenue for Social Security by $3.2 trillion over 10 years.

SSA customer service delays cause anxiety for some boomers

Robert Zeidler, 72, lives in Arizona and relies on Social Security to pay his bills. Recently, he said he had an issue with his direct deposit and spent weeks trying to get help via Social Security's 1-800 customer service number and his local field office. He said he was waitlisted multiple times by the phone line but was required to book an appointment over the phone in order to meet with someone at the office.

"There's no shortcut to having people manning the phones," Zeidler added.

Zeidler said the recent cuts to the SSA will make it harder for older Americans like him to claim benefits. While it's not yet clear if these changes will result in delayed checks, older Americans like Zeidler feel the stakes are high: it would "hurt substantially," he said.

With DOGE cuts, Social Security's customer service system is strained. The agency had an average call wait time of one hour and 39 minutes in March, and received over 265,000 calls from beneficiaries. This compares to fiscal year 2024, when the average wait time was one hour, one minute. It's not clear when full reduction-in-force will be complete at the SSA, or what departments employees will be cut from.

At the same time, local field offices are bracing for an influx of visitors. Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations Doris Diaz told staff in a memo on March 13 that reductions in phone service and new ID requirements could lead to an additional 75,000 to 85,000 visitors a week across all offices. SSA employees have told BI that many local field offices are already strained by staff shortages, and may not be able to handle increased demand. This comes as about 50 field offices are set to close due to DOGE cuts.

Many older Americans struggle to navigate technology and paperwork

Older adults have told BI that it can be challenging to wade through the government paperwork necessary to claim Social Security. Both Campbell and Zeidler said that they feel fairly tech-literate, but they worry about peers who are less adept at navigating the Social Security website. Musk has said DOGE wants to "modernize" the SSA, but hasn't provided further details.

"You have to go through some major hoops to get anything done," Zeidler said of the current SSA customer service system.

Other low-income older Americans have previously said that balancing Social Security claims with other government aid programs like SNAP and Medicaid can be stressful — especially since most have different application portals and eligibility paperwork. The MySSA portal has also seen outages in the last week, temporarily preventing beneficiaries from accessing their accounts.

"Whatever cuts they're making or whatever they're doing — I've dealt with Social Security before, and I never had these long wait times," Zeidler said.

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• With tariffs, federal budget cuts, and student loan limbo, Americans are delaying financial decisions.
• 6 Americans told BI how economic uncertainty is shaping their family, jobs, budgets, and retirement.
• While the US is not in a recession, indicators are showing some signs of weakness.

Babies, homes, retirement, and business ventures — all major moves Americans have told BI they're putting on hold as the US reels from economic uncertainty.

Tariffs are set to raise prices on everything from groceries to cars, and sweeping cuts to federal spending have many concerned about their livelihoods. Federal student loan limbo is also leaving millions wondering how they will pay off their debt.

"I feel like I just got done building a life out here," said a Washington DC 28-year-old who resigned from her government job and may have to move due to finances. "I was actually trying to own a home."

Some are even worried about a recession. While the US isn't in one yet, a major indicator of consumer sentiment hit a three-year low in March, and consumer spending was weaker than expected last month. Meanwhile, a closely watched inflation metric has seen its highest jump in a year. Economists have said these conditions are making people less likely to make major purchases and take financial risks.

While some Americans also told BI they support Trump's recent cost-cutting measures and don't plan to make any adjustments to their jobs or savings, six shared stories about holding off on major milestones.

A millennial is weighing starting a family amid student loan uncertainty

Florence Thompson feels stuck. The 39-year-old wants to buy a home and have a baby, but she's not sure what her future monthly student-loan payments will look like. She said she hopes they'll stay in the low hundreds.

Thompson is enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments. Trump is taking steps to limit eligibility for the program, which could bar some borrowers from future relief.

Thompson is also on the SAVE plan, created by President Joe Biden to give borrowers more affordable monthly payments. Since July, she and 8 million enrolled borrowers have been stuck in forbearance after SAVE was blocked in court. Thompson has not been able to make payments or earn PSLF credit while the lawsuit plays out. Now, Thompson isn't sure when she will have to add loan payments back into her budget — and how much those payments will be. The Trump administration's recent decision to dismantle the Department of Education has heightened this uncertainty, she said. It's complicating her plans to buy a home and start a family.

"I have the money to pursue IVF, I have the money to buy a home," Thompson said. "But it's like the sword hanging above your head where you don't know when your monthly costs are going to increase and by how much. It's just a real uncertainty, and I know people are in much more difficult positions than myself. It's just not fair, not right."

Until she knows what will happen with her student debt, Thompson is conflicted. "It's really causing me to have to save money rather than spend it on the things that I'd like to spend it on," she said.

A federal employee left a $100,000 salary on the table and is worried about the future of her career

Ashley Shannon submitted her resignation letter last month. The 28-year-old was an attorney in her second year at the Department of Justice's Federal Bureau of Prisons. She said her job felt meaningful — her work helped combat mass incarceration disproportionately impacting Black and brown people.

But, as news flooded in about the firings of federal probationary workers, Shannon made the tough decision to leave her role.

"Higher up in the agency, they pretty much told us it's either you leave or you're going to likely get fired and pushed out," she said.

The career paths for Black women in private-sector law are more limited than in the federal workforce, and Shannon had been excited to build a career in the public interest. She had been making $100,000 a year and was building her life in Washington DC — hoping to buy her first home soon. Now, Shannon has been unemployed since March 5. If she can't find a job by the end of April, she will have to move back to Chicago to live with her parents.

"That is a very defeating feeling as a very new attorney," she said. "I would have to move back in with my family, find another job, and pretty much restart my entire life."

A Gen Zer moved back in with her parents to save up for an international move

Last fall, Bri O. moved back in with her parents. The 23-year-old works a finance job in Charlotte, North Carolina. She didn't picture spending her young adult years in her childhood home, but said it's her best option to save money.

Bri knew she wanted to live abroad at some point in her life — it's an opportunity to experience new cultures and she has her eyes set on Spain. However, she said Trump's return to the Oval Office has accelerated her timeline: She's now trying to save $50,000 by 2026 so that she can move out of the US, maybe permanently.

As a young, queer woman, Bri said she doesn't feel safe living under the Trump administration, especially if she someday chooses to get married or start a family. The government "enacting policies against us in the queer community is having an effect on our lives," she said.

She said she's sacrificing some of her independence by living with family right now, but it's worth it for her finances. Being at home is allowing her to put the money she would be spending on rent and other expenses into savings for her eventual move.

"I'd love to stay in the country where all my friends and my family are," she said, adding, "It's disheartening that I'm leaving because of fear."

A Gen Xer isn't sure she can retire early anymore

Margarita Sdoukos, 49, thought she was going to retire early. She was confident that she and her husband would have a strong enough nest egg to stop working in six years. Due to living below their means, savvy investments, and careful saving habits, the couple felt financially comfortable.

Now, Sdoukos isn't sure she will ever fully retire. The Illinois resident told BI that she and her husband have lost "tens of thousands" of dollars in the stock market since Trump took office in January, and they're shifting to safer investments for their 401(k), even if they are less lucrative. She cashed out her teacher's pension and placed it in an IRA due to "uncertainty in the government." She's concerned about potential changes to Social Security, and now expects to continue working for as long as possible.

"We don't even think about retirement right now," she said.

A business owner is anxious about her next step

Jessica Deseo, 40, has been in the design industry for nearly two decades. She's a California-based, first-generation immigrant and mother who is balancing her own LLC with her role as a 1099 employee for a fellow creative.

With economic policy changing quickly under Trump, Deseo is at a crossroads with her career: go solo with her business or balance her job and freelancing.

"I'm right in the middle of figuring that out, and it's really, really hard," she said.

Deseo said she wants to put energy and money into growing her own business, but it comes with sacrifices. She's worried that potential clients won't have the extra budget to hire her as a freelancer and said that going out completely on her own would be an even bigger financial risk. Right now, she's being cautious about spending and saving as much as she can.

"You see the economy around you and you're just like, 'Jesus, everyone is getting laid off,"' she said.

A baby boomer is putting off a move and saving some Social Security income

Kathy Heller, 67, hoped to move out of her studio apartment in Pennsylvania and buy a new house. However, due to recent changes in the stock market and her fears about the future of Social Security, she said that may no longer be possible.

"I've been wanting to move for the last couple of years, and I just can't now," Heller said. "Everything's changed."

Heller, who worked as a legal secretary, ate through some of her retirement savings while caring for her husband, who was ill for two decades. She works nearly full-time as a real estate agent to supplement her over $3,000 monthly Social Security survivor benefits. She said she's had to wait for four hours on the phone to contact a Social Security representative, and she said she's worried about what her finances may look like a few months from now, especially if Social Security is disrupted in any way.

"My plan is to save $1,000 a month out of my Social Security check, but I live alone," Heller said. "If you don't have savings or a monthly income, you're screwed now."

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• Rumors swirled Wednesday that Elon Musk may leave his role at the White House DOGE Office.
• After Politico's report, BI heard from 16 federal workers about what his departure would mean.
• The Trump administration and Musk both denied his exit on X, and workers say it doesn't make a difference anyway.

Even if Elon Musk is eyeing the exit, federal workers say the anxiety and financial chaos DOGE caused will stick with them long after his tenure ends.

After Politico reported that the world's richest man might be leaving his post as the de facto leader of the White House DOGE Office soon, Business Insider spoke with 16 current and recently fired federal employees who are left wondering what it means for the future of their agencies — while most are crystal clear about their distaste for Musk himself.

"Obviously, my reaction is good riddance," an employee at the Office of Personnel Management said. Employees requested anonymity for fear of retaliation or because they were not authorized to speak, and BI has verified their identities.

Musk has been a vocal advocate of firing federal employees and slashing government budgets. Some federal workers who voted for Trump previously told BI that they support efforts to make the government more efficient but feel "betrayed" by widespread job cuts and upset by Musk's role.

The White House has denied that Musk plans to step back from the cost-cutting effort, directing BI to a post on X by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: "Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete." No timeline was given. Representatives for DOGE did not respond to a request for comment from BI, and Musk said on X, "Yeah, fake news."

As a special government employee, Musk is only legally allowed to work for the government for at most 130 days a year. Most employees BI spoke to doubted that a quicker departure would make much of a difference.

Five current and former employees told BI that they think Musk will still influence the DOGE office's operations, even if he technically gives up his government role. As one put it, he'll still "pull the puppet strings — whether inside the White House or out of it."

Others said they didn't see much daylight between Musk and his allies, like Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and young DOGE office staffers.

"I'm assuming he's getting out sooner because this has cost him and his businesses far more than he anticipated, for which I am glad. I hope he never fully recovers," a NOAA employee said.

The Politico report comes as Tesla stock has fluctuated amid Musk's growing power in the West Wing. The company's reported first-quarter deliveries were well below analysts' estimates, and shares are down roughly 30% this year. Even as the president has championed Tesla on the White House lawn, owners of the vehicles have been putting them up for sale in droves. Just yesterday, a conservative judge lost a key election in Wisconsin — despite getting more than $12 million from Musk's PAC.

At a town hall on Sunday, Musk said that his role in the Trump administration is "costing me a lot." Meanwhile, some federal employees are skeptical he'd leave his government influence behind.

"Maybe on paper, they'll say someone else is in charge, but in reality, it will still be Musk," an IRS employee said. An employee at NASA predicted that Musk would simply use X to "pressure anyone not doing what he wants."

Eight employees said they hoped the news was true. Yet many of those who welcomed Musk's departure also said that DOGE has already made a significant, enduring mark on the federal government.

After so many firings, an employee at the Institute of Museum and Library Services said Musk's departure "would be a hopeful sign to keep the federal workforce afloat, but so much damage has already been done. We need more people to proactively help us rather than just wait around for him to leave."

Noah Sheidlower and Ayelet Sheffey contributed reporting.

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• Trump's staffing cuts and office closures are launching Social Security's customer service into chaos.
• 73 million Americans rely on Social Security to afford essentials.
• I visited SSA offices and called the 1-800 number to learn how customer service is handled in 2025.

I was ninth in line at the Long Island City Social Security office.

At 8:28 a.m., with the temperature hovering just above freezing, a small group of people were already gathered outside. Some held proof of address or medical documents, others clutched paper cups of coffee from the Dunkin' up the street.

By the time the doors opened at 8:57 a.m., the line was starting to curve around the building. I was joined by mostly seniors, one young couple with a baby, and a man in a "proud United States veteran" baseball hat.

"Anyone here with a question about their lifetime earnings?" an employee asked as people filed into the fluorescent-lit room. She was met by a few nods. "Who is here to renew their Social Security card?" Several people raised their hands. Others said they had questions about their monthly benefit amounts or needed to update their bank information. An older man said he was there in person because he was struggling to get help over the phone.

The Social Security Administration has had a busy month. As part of President Donald Trump's slashing of the federal workforce, Social Security has said its staffing target is now 50,000 workers, a reduction of 7,000 employees — which is already near a historic low. Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations Doris Diaz told staff in a memo on March 13 that reductions in phone service and new ID requirements could lead to an additional 75,000 to 85,000 visitors a week at local field offices. This follows DOGE's vow to stop benefits fraud, a phenomenon that is exceptionally rare, with only 0.84% of payments deemed improper by the SSA's Office of the Inspector General.

These cuts and policy changes have come as a surprise for most within the SSA. Trump initially left the agency out of January's federal workforce cuts and the president has previously said that he "will not cut one penny" from Social Security. The White House told BI this week that the recent cost-cutting measures are because the president is a "responsible steward" of tax dollars, and the SSA said five-day return-to-office requirements for staff will help with customer service issues. Still, AARP reported that they have been flooded with thousands of calls from concerned seniors. Uncertainty over the program's future has caused widespread panic for the 73 million people who rely on it, and employees have told BI their morale is sinking.

"There was a 180-degree turn away from protecting the front lines and protecting service to the public," Rich Couture, the federal worker union's SSA General Committee spokesperson, told me, adding. "On top of the customer service crisis we're already seeing, it's going to push a lot of field offices over the edge in terms of what they're able to handle."

So, on a Thursday morning in March, I visited New York City field offices and tried calling customer service to understand what it's like to navigate Social Security in 2025.

Because I didn't have an appointment — and staff weren't keen on talking to a journalist — I didn't get past the waiting room in Long Island City. Employees and visitors weren't open to interviews. As I left to catch the N train, another five people walked inside the glass office doors.

Phone service was overwhelmed, so I visited field offices in 3 boroughs

Social Security is a financial lifeline for millions of Americans: people with disabilities, households living near the poverty line, and retirees. A fifth of US adults over 50 don't have adequate retirement savings, and BI has heard from hundreds of seniors who are relying on the monthly checks as their primary source of income. Some are trying to cover their housing, grocery, healthcare, and other expenses on about $1,000 a month.

"I don't want to be rich, I just need to be comfortable," one 62-year-old living on $1,104 in monthly Social Security told me. "I just want to know that I can have food when I need it and a nice roof over my head."

Older adults have also told BI they have a hard time wading through government paperwork, especially if they are trying to claim Social Security alongside other benefits like SNAP or Medicare. At each of the field office locations I visited, at least one staff member's main role was helping older visitors determine what paperwork they needed and what buttons they should push to check in for their appointment on the electronic machine.

These Social Security logistics issues aren't new, but the customer service system set up to help beneficiaries navigate them is crumbling. Nearly 50 field offices are slated to close across the US due to funding cuts, and staff shortages mean the average phone wait time is about an hour and 44 minutes — and employees anticipate it getting worse. At the lower Manhattan SSA location I visited, the waiting room was packed with people waiting for help and the crowd significantly outnumbered employees.

I was having trouble getting seen in person, so I figured I'd call the 1-800 Social Security number to speak to an agent. The chipper-sounding robot said the wait time was "greater than 120 minutes" and then it immediately hung up on me.

Now unsuccessful in person and over the phone, I decided to take the train to downtown Brooklyn. I rode an overcrowded elevator up to the seventh-floor office, which was painted floor-to-ceiling in peachy pink. Hundreds of chairs were set up in the center of 30 different booths, only about eight of which were staffed. I took a ticket, sat with roughly 40 other visitors, and waited 21 minutes for my number to be called.

When "902" came across the intercom, I walked across the room to my Social Security appointment — several hours and two boroughs after I waited in line in Queens.

(The employee I had my appointment with told me she wouldn't mind talking to me for this story, but her manager advised her not to.)

Of course, I wasn't actually filing for Social Security on Thursday. I didn't need to stay to fill out paperwork, and my ability to pay bills wasn't riding on the success of my appointment. I also live in New York, where there are a few different field office locations that I can visit. SSA employees have warned that Trump's new in-person ID requirement could mean some beneficiaries in rural areas and without transportation access will have a harder time getting service. For people relying on benefit checks to afford essentials or pay for healthcare, any delays could be catastrophic.

At the end of the day, I called Social Security's 1-800 number again. The website says agents staff the phones from 8 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time Monday through Friday.

"The wait time is greater than 120 minutes," the robot told me. "We are currently experiencing high volumes and all agents are busy. Goodbye." Click.

Do you have a story about Social Security to share? Are you an SSA employee with a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal at alliekelly.10 or email [email protected]. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• AARP reports a surge in calls from retirees concerned about Social Security benefits.
• Seniors are worried about the Trump administration's budget cuts at the Social Security Administration.
• Office closures and staffing cuts could strain the agency as baby boomers retire and demand rises.

Anxious retirees have been phoning AARP in droves about their Social Security benefits.

A spokesperson said that since February 1, the nonprofit has received roughly 2,000 calls a week on the issue, and "by far the number one" concern is about disruptions to checks.

"They're really struggling to get by and Social Security is their lifeline," Bill Sweeney, AARP senior vice president, said of older Americans who rely on Social Security benefits to make ends meet. "It's something they paid into their entire working lives from their very first paycheck until their very last."

The spike in calls is double AARP's usual volume and is happening in response to the Trump administration's workforce reductions within the Social Security Administration. Though Trump has promised his administration won't touch benefits, retirees have reason to be concerned about the service they'll receive from the agency.

Last month, wait times for calling Social Security averaged around an hour and 44 minutes, and Social Security administrators warned that customer service is going to get worse.

For example, one change requires beneficiaries to present identification in person rather than online to prevent fraud. However, the agency also announced it would be closing some field offices, a move that could present further challenges to seniors and disabled Americans who don't have access to transportation or live in remote areas.

Business Insider previously spoke to Social Security employees who said the agency was already overwhelmed before the White House's DOGE office came on the scene. Staffing has reached its lowest levels in 50 years — and demand for the agency's services is only growing as a wave of baby boomers hit retirement age.

"There's about 10,000 people turning 65 every single day in this country," Sweeney told BI. "And there's more every day than the day before. And yet the staff at Social Security is going down."

Nearly 73 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. Around 40% of older Americans rely solely on monthly checks for their retirement income, according to the National Institute for Retirement Security. The number of Americans over the age of 65 is projected to steadily increase to 80 million in 2040.

Judith Murray, 64, is one of them. Murray previously told BI that she lives on $1,311 a month in Social Security and a $1,174 monthly SNAP allotment in central Illinois. It's barely enough to cover essentials in a seven-person household, which includes some of her children and grandchildren and her fiancé, who recently lost his job.

Any delays in Social Security payment would jeopardize Murray's ability to pay for housing and groceries — and she is already already behind on bills and doesn't have any savings. Murray said that, due to a disability, she's been relying on Social Security for several decades.

Whether it's a supplement to retirement savings or a sole source of income, Social Security is one of the most popular federal programs with 87% of Americans saying it must remain a priority even with budget deficits.

Frank Bisignano, a seasoned finance executive, fielded questions from Democrats during Tuesday's Senate Finance Committee hearing as Trump's pick to head the Social Security Administration.

Bisignano vowed to continue operating the agency to serve the American people "to ensure that every beneficiary receives their payments on time, that disability claims are processed in the manner they should be."

When asked if he had plans to denationalize the service, he said no.

"I've never thought about privatizing. It's not a word that anybody's ever talked to me about," the Wall Street veteran continued. "I don't see this institution as anything other than a government agency that gets run for the benefit of the American public."

Have a tip or story to share? Contact this reporter via Signal at @jdeng.20 or email at [email protected]. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Moms share budget tips to help families manage rising grocery costs and food insecurity.
• Many low-income Americans who don't qualify for SNAP rely on food banks for groceries.
• In 2023, 47 million Americans lived in a food-insecure household, an increase of 38% from 2021.

Every evening, Danielle Howard opens TikTok and records herself while she cooks: a $6 barbecue and broccoli dinner for three, or spaghetti with lentils from the food pantry.

She's amassed a quarter million followers on the platform since she began posting grocery and recipe videos a few years ago. The 32-year-old northern Indiana resident said she spends $200 a month at Aldi to feed her family of three. She supplements her grocery trips with a monthly box from the food bank because the income from her direct support professional job is about $100 too high to qualify for SNAP. But she said her paycheck isn't high enough to comfortably put food on the table, and her TikTok page doesn't bring in reliable money.

Howard is part of a growing cohort of Americans known as ALICE, which stands for asset-limited, income-constrained, employed. While people in this group work, their paycheck isn't enough to live on, and it's too much to qualify them for government benefits.

More and more Americans like Howard are falling into this gap in the social safety net and feeling squeezed by the economy: groceries are expensive, egg prices have seen their biggest monthly spike in a decade, and federal policy whiplash is making consumers hesitant to spend money. Parents, especially, have told Business Insider that it's challenging to afford food alongside other costly essentials, like childcare, housing, and transportation.

As families contend with a looming recession, tariff markups, and steep supermarket bills, a rising number of parents are sharing their grocery hauls online — they tell followers which products give the biggest bang for their buck, how to cook cheap meals, and how struggling families can use their local food banks.

Helping others navigate food insecurity through social media has also given Howard a sense of purpose. That can mean helping them save a few bucks at the grocery store and also telling them when and how to take advantage of food banks.

"There's no reason that we should be judging anyone for just trying to meet that basic human need," she said. "You never know when you're going to end up in that situation yourself."

Parents teach families how to maximize groceries on a budget

Food banks play a specific role in combating food insecurity for families like Howard's. Social safety programs like SNAP are typically restricted to households that live at or below the federal poverty line, which is $26,650 annually for a family of three. Although individual food banks can have different requirements, they are often the only source of assistance for low-income Americans who don't qualify for food stamps.

Howard isn't the only ALICE creator who has taken to social media to share budget-friendly tips and tricks. Tiffany Bly, 57, lives in North Texas with her 22-year-old daughter Caeleigh Hallman, Hallman's husband, and their baby. She previously told BI that she doesn't have any money left over after she pays her basic bills every month, and it can be stressful to afford enough for her family to eat. When she applied for SNAP benefits recently, Bly learned the income from her customer service job was $11 too high to qualify.

Visiting the local food bank has been a game changer: "It has saved us," she said. "Everything that we're surviving on we've gotten from our food pantry."

Now, Bly and Hallman share their grocery and food bank hauls on TikTok. The pair cook together, share their advice for affordable meals, and make sweets like vanilla cupcakes or homemade biscuits. Bly said she hopes that her platform is helpful to other low-income Americans: "It's OK to be scared about how your bills are gonna get paid," she said. "And it's OK to use the resources that are available to you so you don't have to go hungry."

She added that visiting local or church food pantries and making her own shampoo and cleaning supplies are the top ways Bly keeps her grocery bill under $150 a month.

That's a big feat in a time when groceries aren't cheap — and haven't been for a while. The consumer price index for food in US cities increased by about 28% between February 2020 and February 2025. About one in seven US households — or 47 million people — were food insecure in 2023, per the latest data available from Feeding America. The national food insecurity rate that year was up 38% over 2021.

You can support food banks by using them

TikTokers told BI that they share their food bank and grocery experiences so that other families feel less alone. Local food banks receive funding based on demand — so Howard said people should use the resources if they need them.

Both Howard and Bly said that food banks are their main source of canned goods, pasta sauce, frozen vegetables, snack foods, and other basics. They try to reserve grocery spending for items that are less available at pantries, like fresh produce and dairy, meat, or personal hygiene items.

Haylee Bachman, 30, lives outside Seattle and is a stay-at-home mom for her three young children. She said her partner's income isn't high enough to comfortably afford food for their household. When they need extra groceries, Bachman said their nearby food bank has been a relief. She's also enrolled in WIC, a government aid program for women with infants or young kids.

Bachman has been posting about her grocery and food bank hauls online since 2020. She has a series she calls "WIC Wednesdays," where she teaches followers how to best use the program, and she shares her advice for stretching budgets at stores like Fred Meyer and Dollar Tree.

"I don't want people to feel embarrassed about their own life or situation because they could lose jobs due to an injury, or they get laid off randomly, or just be struggling with the economy — whatever the case is," Bachman said, adding. "I've gotten lots of messages saying, 'thank you. I'm going to a food bank today because you made me feel like I can be safe."'

To be sure, food banks aren't a cure-all solution to food insecurity. Requirements for most food pantries vary by region — some check people's income, others only require an ID and ZIP code.

But Howard is optimistic about the trends she's seeing online. She's noticing that more people like her are being open about their grocery budgets in an effort to help others.

"I think that the more creators that start posting about it, the more it's going to normalize that," Howard said. "There are more families out there than you think that are using those resources, and it'll help destigmatize the shame behind it."

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