Robert Gishi had a long and varied career, working for the Air Force and tile manufacturer Monier, as well as the iconic local companies Dole Plantation and the brewer of Primo Beer.

At 68 he has a smooth face without worry lines, after prudently saving for his retirement, even buying long-term care insurance in case he needs to go to a nursing home. But Wall Street's woes have him rattled.

“;I lost about 80 percent of all my stocks and mutual funds,”; he said. “;My retirement fund is getting depleted. ... My financial adviser told me to just hang in there. Everything is kind of depressing but there's nothing you can do.”;

Gishi, who is divorced, has a daughter who lives in Rochester, N.Y. - snow country. He likes to visit, but it's too cold to move there.

“;I don't have any family in Hawaii to take care of me,”; he said. “;I used to go to New York around this time of the year, and I couldn't this year because of the price of tickets. I'm holding back or reserving my cash flow until the economy picks up.”;

He is fortunate to own his home in Pearl City free and clear. He doubled up on his mortgage payments while he was working, so that he could get ahead. But he is facing an increase in the cost of his long-term care insurance to $4,000 from $3,500 a year.

“;That hurts because I have no idea where I'm going to get the money from,”; he said. “;When I get the electrical statement, I just don't want to look at it. I minimize my use, my electric, my water usage. I'm looking for other ways of getting some income.”;

Gishi busies himself with maintenance projects around the house. And he likes to hang out at the Pearlridge Starbucks. As a stockholder in the coffee company, he would receive a “;shareholder's card”; from the company each year, worth $50 or $100 in spending at its coffee shops. But the value of his Starbucks shares has plummeted.

He's not expecting to receive a new card this year.