Welcome to the new model of retirement. No retirement. In 1983 over 60 percent of American workers had some kind of defined-benefit plan. Today less than 20 percent have access to a plan and the majority of retired Americans largely rely on Social Security as their de facto retirement plan.
As many Americans enter into retirement they are realizing one unfortunate thing. The new retirement plan is no retirement at all. Over the last few decades Americans were promised the idea of a comfortable retirement yet none of this has materialized because of financial swindling and a real estate bubble that will go down in [...]
The Retirement fantasy – middle class Americans are quickly realizing that a secure retirement future may only be a myth. Stagnant income, debt illusion, and the future outlook for working Americans.
Americans are having a tougher time finding extra disposable income to save and create wealth. It is hard to plan for the future when you are worrying about having enough money to purchase a couple of frozen meals. When looking at overall statistics we rarely get a glimpse at how tough things have become for [...]
Financial trends of the new American economy – Higher educated workforce with harder time finding and keeping jobs, median retirement account for Americans at $2,000, global stock market growth, and housing bust covering up inflation in other areas.
The Great Recession is revealing some fundamental challenges in our economy. One of those challenges revolves around the exceedingly expensive college degree and its ability to translate into employment. As a percent many more American’s have a bachelor’s degree today than say in 1992 yet unemployment for college educated Americans is at modern record highs. [...]
Broken financial generations – U.S. households only have a median of $2,000 saved in retirement accounts. The median net worth for those 25 to 34 is $3,700. Which generation will support the economy going forward? Social Security beneficiaries make up 19 percent of all Americans.
I recently had a conversation with a retired neighbor, a former Navy vet who worked most of his life at a local grocery store. I wouldn’t call him wealthy but he has his financial house in order; he paid off his home in the early 1990s, has no other debts, and lives well below his [...]
The retirement myth – 1 out of 3 Americans has no savings or retirement account. Half of Americans have $2,000 or less in their retirement account. 401k new name for Wall Street grease.
Middle class Americans are witnessing the conversion of their retirement accounts into gambling pots used by Wall Street. The metamorphosis of Wall Street into one giant fraud ridden center moved by investment banking funds has slowly occurred over the last four decades. Average Americans have sat back over these years since they were given enough [...]
The $2.3 Trillion State and Local Government Debt Monster – California Pension Systems on Unsupportable Path with $500 Billion Projected Shortfall. CalPERS, CalSTRS, and UCRS.
Much of the focus on government debt over the past few years has revolved around the federal government. No doubt, this is a stunningly large amount. Yet the government has the ability to finance this debt through the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve with a buffet of choices. You have direct bailouts to Wall Street, [...]
Middle Class Americans Losing Financial Ground on Retirement – As Stock Market Rebounds more Middle Class Americans Have Less Money and Fewer Jobs. How is Health Care Spending Boosting GDP a Good Thing?
As more and more data is released on this Great Recession it is becoming abundantly clear that we have two tracks people are following. On one track where most travel, we have middle class Americans dealing with the highest unemployment in a generation while seeing their net worth dissolve. On the other side of the [...]
Going Broke on $50,000: The Story of the Struggling American Middle Class. The $50,000 Median Household Budget.
The recent recession is exposing how many American families have been treading on the edge. Problems were already in the system before the recession began but the downturn in the economy was the ultimate catalyst. Many families were using credit cards as a means of supplementing a decade of stagnant wages. The median household income [...]
The Ultimate Sucker’s Rally: Record Breaking 50 Percent Stock Market Rally in 5 Months: Extreme Market Volatility Occurs in Deep Economic Recessions and Depressions. From 676 to 1002.
Incredible. We have never seen a stock market rally like this in all the history for the S&P 500. In no other time has the S&P index run up nearly 50 percent in the matter of 5 months. Extreme market volatility is the ultimate sign of market distress. Think for a minute and ask yourself [...]
The Road to Financial Serfdom: The Official Disconnect of Main Street from Wall Street and the Financial Mainstream Media.
On Thursday with the S&P 500 inching closer to the 1,000 mark it is near impossible to silence the “recession is over” media hype. Of course, this is the same media that missed the biggest economic collapse since the Great Depression but here they are predicting the end of the recession. The problem of course [...]
