Retirees face a perilous financial decade ahead – Over 30 percent of workers have less than $1,000 saved for retirement. Defined-benefit plans down to 20 percent from over 60 percent in 1983.
While financial institutions can rearrange assets and play around with accounting rules modifying reality the progression of age is hitting millions of Americans. There is no pause button when it comes to growing old. Recent surveys are highlighting a very challenging road ahead for retirees. A survey released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) [...]
The Coming Demographic and Financial Disaster – Median income of Americans 65+ is $19,167. What happens when less affluent youth move back home and clash with older generations?
What happens when a society that prides itself on a middle class and self-sufficiency suddenly starts losing both? For over a decade the middle class in the US has been shrinking. This isn’t some speculation but is reflected in the stagnant household income data. You also have a giant demographic train in that many baby [...]
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 [...]
Where the Jobs Are and Baby Boomers: Healthcare Growth and the Feeding of a Graying Population. Is a Post-Baby Boomer Society good for our Economic Competitiveness?
Seventy-six million American babies were born between 1946 and 1960 and we call this group the baby boomer group. Many trends can be seen coming with this group. Major toy sellers including Mattel came about this time. In fact, much of their success included this right timing since Mattel was founded in 1945, just in [...]
