FRONTLINE: can you afford to retire?: retirement stories

THE LEGACY OF LTV STEEL'S BANKRUPTCY

"There Will Be Time and Money Enough for Me and You Later"
FRONTLINE producer Rick Young remembers a departed LTV steelworker whose retirement benefits were slashed after the company went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

HIGH LOW

VIDEO REPORT
LTV's Bankruptcy - A Bellwether Case
Web-exclusive video about LTV Steel, one of the first large corporations to use Chapter 11 bankruptcy to abandon retiree pensions and benefits.

TWO VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOMES

Gil Thibeau - He'd Done Better Than Most
But now, recently retired, he estimates he's lost a third of his 401(k) in the economic meltdown. He says it could have been worse, if he hadn't shifted some savings into CDs. Now working as a substitute teacher, he's optimistic about getting his money back: "I'm a risk taker, going to ride it out." Read this 2006 profile about how he managed his retirement savings.

Winson Crabb - A Case of "Yield Disparity?"
He and his wife have already gone through their 401(k), and both have returned to work to supplement his $400-a-month pension. He faithfully contributed to his 401(k) but wasn't the best manager. Read this 2006 profile about the Crabb family's retirement fortunes.

STORIES FROM UNITED AIRLINES' BANKRUPTCY

Robin Gilinger - Falling into the New Reality
Despite a slashed pension and salary and longer hours, this flight attendant still hopes to spend her career with United Airline.

Pat O'Neill - "You Can't Treat People the Way People Are Being Treated"
Three years into his "retirement," he's driving a truck, five days a week, to pay for health care and other basic expenses.