Thank you so much for the thoughtful feedback!
It's true I haven't had much opportunity to playtest this for the target audience. You have validated some things I was concerned about (such as solid examples for character creation and how long it might take to play) and brought up points I haven't considered (too many examples for Retirement for younger players and, for example). This is a game I have planned to update using what I've learned since I first created it and I'll definitely use your points during that time.