While true to some degree that people don't prepare sufficiently, many simply cannot prepare. Taking aside the U.S. which bankrupts hundreds of thousands a year through an insane health care system (providing both highest cost and one of the lowest outcome on the quality side across the developed world), most people in most xountries have not much svsing possibilities to begin with. The best use of money is most often to invest in your housing, or your kids' education, not to mention food, regular healthcare, and basic amenities (1/10 of the world population can barely afford shoes or a toothbrush...).

Where more wisdom could come in is for much of the lower and the increasingly nonexistant upper middle class. But this is a fraction of the population.

If you want to tell a family with two adults working in lower wage jobs and two kids, and renting an apartment, to "save" there is usually not much margin, and their saving amounts to building up a small emergeny reserve which is eaten up by any family emergency or damage to car or housing. Little chance to save for old age ..