After 35 years as a paralegal, Cynthia “Cindy” Arena was set to retire at the end of May, but economic uncertainty made her reconsider her plans, writes Erin McCarthy for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

As President Donald Trump’s global tariffs rattled markets, the 66-year-old Phoenixville resident was watching her retirement savings shrink – sometimes dramatically. 

“I just started thinking, ‘I’m scared,’” said Arena. “I lost a lot of money.” 

While some of the money is finally coming back, she is still not convinced that it is the right time to leave her job. 

“I was raised by a parent of the Depression,” she said. “I was very mindful of money and saving my whole life. So that’s probably why I can’t let go of the idea” that retirement is not the best choice at this time. 

Instead, she decided to continue her work as a paralegal two days a week. While she will begin collecting Social Security, this will mean that she can still maintain her additional income. She also plans on holding off as long as possible before drawing from her investment accounts. 

Read more about Cynthia Arena and other workers worrying about the ability to retire in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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