CONNECTICUT — Pamela Hopkins and her husband Jon moved to a three-bedroom Connecticut apartment one year ago after unexpectedly losing their retirement investment funds and are now pursuing litigation to recover the money. The retired couple now lives in a multigenerational household with their 36-year-old son, who divorced a couple of years ago and has two children, ages 8 and 5.

The couple sold their five-bedroom house on Long Island, New York, and used the proceeds to pay off debt, including Hopkins's master's student loans, and to cover their apartment move. They invested the remaining proceeds to rebuild their retirement funds after the unexpected loss forced them to abandon their original plan to purchase a small home with cash.

Their son works remotely as a mortgage banker while enrolled in college and lives with his parents full time. Hopkins and her husband support the household financially on their fixed income while their son attends school. The son is responsible for child support payments and splits custody of his children with his ex-wife.

The Connecticut apartment is 1,200 square feet with two bathrooms and includes amenities such as a pool, gym, and park-like grounds. The apartment is new and the rent costs about a quarter of their previous maintenance expenses on Long Island.

Hopkins is 67 years old and previously worked as a teacher and later as a realtor. Jon had a long career in film and television. The couple has been married since 1987 and has two children: a 33-year-old daughter and the 36-year-old son who lives with them.

Their original retirement plan involved moving closer to their son and his ex-wife on Long Island and purchasing a small, manageable home with cash. However, the loss of their retirement investment funds and their son's divorce led them to move into an apartment instead of a private house.