From "This Is Uncomfortable": Wait...where did my retirement money go?

In this episode of 'This Is Uncomfortable,' host Rima Grace confronts her own financial avoidance by attempting to track down forgotten retirement accounts from her early 20s jobs at NPR and WUNC. Despite initial inertia and emotional resistance, she enlists her producer Alice Wilder’s help and eventually uncovers a $10,461.32 balance in her North Carolina Retirement System account—though the process of rolling it over remains complex. Through interviews with retirement researcher Jeffrey Sanzebacher and behavioral economist Katie Milkman, Rima explores why so many people lose track of retirement savings: the system is intentionally fragmented, with little incentive for companies to facilitate transfers, and human psychology is wired to procrastinate on long-term financial tasks. Milkman offers science-backed strategies like calendar blocking, accountability partners, and commitment devices—such as fines to charities one dislikes—to overcome procrastination. The episode also features a mailbag segment on the moral tension of tax avoidance, highlighting how people balance civic responsibility with personal financial strategy. Ultimately, Rima’s journey becomes a call to action for listeners to reclaim their financial lives.