US. When Texas messes with pensions, firefighters, teachers and cops get burned

Twenty years ago, I entered the service feeling like most rookie firemen: invincible. The furthest thing from any new recruit’s mind is retirement, but before long, the high stress, heavy lifting, hazardous conditions and 24-hour shifts begin to catch up with even the strongest among us. For all our emergency preparedness training, the fire academy does not teach financial management, leaving most firefighters ill-equipped to plan for retirement. And with the average firefighter retiring in their fifties — significantly before the average...