Mar 3 2013

The Sequestered Gilded Age: Top 20 percent of households control over 90 percent of all stocks and financial wealth: Bottom 40 percent of all households have an average net worth of -$10,600.

Income inequality is now at levels last seen in the United States during the Gilded Age.  This was a time of incredible opulence for the few while the many struggled to get by.  There is even a story of a Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish throwing a dinner party to honor her dog that arrived wearing a […]

Feb 8 2013

The relentless punishment of the American saver. Fed policy has encouraged spendthrift attitude and yield seeking behavior from Americans.

The Federal Reserve has actively pursued a policy that punishes American savers.  The drive to push interest rates lower has inflated both the stock market and housing market once again.  Yet little of this gain has trickled down into household income for Americans.  The primary reason for this is that most Americans do not derive […]

Oct 21 2012

False prosperity through debt – 4 out of 10 Americans have less than $500. The dangers of building a consumption based nation.

If most Americans had to choose between saving and spending, they would decide to join the spending team.  Americans are so drawn to spending that they will even purchase items they cannot afford.  Another recent survey found that 40 percent of Americans have less than $500 saved.  This aligns with a survey we found last […]

May 28 2012

Saying goodbye to the middle class concept of retirement – many workers plan to work up until they are 80 well beyond the typical life expectancy of Americans. How long will $25,000 last in retirement?

The romantic concept of being able to retire on a sunny beach with endless drinks is a modern notion largely pushed by mainstream advertising.  It is hard for many middle class Americans to imagine a world where retirement is a luxury for the very few.  However that is the path we are now following.  The […]

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