Being a Young, American Adult Is a Financial Nightmare

Quote from Sandybestdog:

I think the author’s use of a guy covered in tattoos wasn’t a good choice to try to prove the point. I always find it funny when I see people like that or people who I would label as “perpetually broke”. They always complain that they don’t have any money but somehow always have money to get more tattoos, buy cigarettes, and $300 for a North Face jacket. Meanwhile, I go to WalMart and pick up a jacket for $15.

With that being said, as a 29 year old, I would have to say that my generation is generally screwed and doesn’t nearly have the opportunity that there was in the past. Or shall I say, the opportunity to get rich still exists in plenty but the ability for the average person to simply keep their head above water is harder than ever. What I’ve begun to also notice is once you get behind, it’s almost impossible to catch up. Take my older brother for instance. He and his wife had their first baby a year ago. They live very conservatively, budget their money, have little to no debt, and drive two 15+ year old cars (one of which is my second car that I let them use). They had an old hulky TV they used until I bought them a flat screen last year. But they just don’t make enough money to be able to “get ahead”. My brother works as the bar/restaurant manager at a hotel and now his wife just lost her job a month ago. I mean they are really struggling and with a baby whose bills never seem to end, it’s even harder.

On the other hand, I’ve been selling cars for a few years and probably make 50% more than their combined pay. Don’t get me wrong, I work 50-60 hours a week and it’s no cake walk but I definitely have it easier. I own a small townhouse, live by myself and pretty much have no other people I’m responsible for. I at least have the means to get a little ahead, at least for now.

All the old people on this forum really don’t know what it’s like to try to make it these days. 30 years ago even a low wage service worker could make enough to support himself and somebody who got into a decent career job could live a decent life. Now, those opportunities are hard to find. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve sold cars to and when we fill out the credit app, I ask them what their job status is. “Oh, I’m retired.” They’re like 55 and retired. They worked 25 years at some government or corporate job and now they get a pension for life. Do any of you think somebody starting off today has that kind of opportunity?

Baby Boomers were probably the luckiest generation.
 
According to a report by CNS news, government owned student loan debt has increased by 463% on Obama’s watch and now stands at a staggering $675 billion. Wait, wasn’t he supposed to, you know, help poor, struggling college students?

From CNS News:

Since President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the amount of outstanding federal student loan debt owed to the government has skyrocketed, increasing by 463 percent. The balance owed currently stands at $674,580,000,000.00 compared to $119,803,000,000.00, where it stood in January 2009, according to the Financial Management Service’s latest monthly treasury statement.

Direct federal student loan spending began to rise rapidly in fiscal year 2010, when the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act – one of the two laws that make up Obamacare — gave the federal government complete control over federal loans for education, the Direct Student Loan (DL) program. This aspect of HCERA became effective July 1, 2010, when the amount of outstanding loans stood at $178,806,000,000. Since then, the balance has increased by 277 percent....

There are several factors that have contributed to this:

The terrible economy has prevented college grads from getting jobs that would provide the income needed to pay back loans. And no entity has done more to hinder economic growth than the federal government (See Obamacare).
The federal government took control of all student loans in 2010. By doing this they not only absorbed all of the debt directly, they eliminated all competition that may have kept rates and prices low.
Yet another (and perhaps the biggest) reason students now owe so much to the federal government is rising tuition rates. You want to know why tuition rates seem to never plateau? You guessed it! The federal government. For decades the feds guaranteed all private student loans. This means that there was no risk for a bank to give a loan to a student. See, it’s very difficult for struggling college students to qualify for loans. They’ve never made any money to speak of and they generally have no collateral. So, the all benevolent government (in an attempt to help, of course) intervened to keep the cash flowing to students. Colleges and Universities are well aware of this and realized quickly that they can charge whatever they’d like because the students will simply get a loan for it. There is, quite literally, no incentive to stop the madness.

That’s right. The federal government has compounded every problem in the student loan world. Like virtually every other perceived problem it has tried to “fix”, it has ended up making it worse.
 
Quote from clacy:

If the editor wants to evoke sympathy for young adults and their financial difficulties, they may want to chose a picture of someone other than a white trash couple with two dozen tattoos between them. At least have the dude put on a t-shirt.

People like that have always been broke. When you look like trash, you typically don't knock down $150k/yr.

Would you hire those two for anything other than low wage, service sector work?

Not always true anymore. A few years ago I had a guy working for me in the summers who was in med school and he said most of the guys (other med students) had tattoos and listened to rap. It ain't our granddads world any more.
 
Quote from Grandluxe:

Baby Boomers were probably the luckiest generation.

No. The generation before the Boomers. They are the only ones who will make out on our Communist social experiment. (After all, it IS a Ponzi scheme... and who are the few who win in Ponzi?)

Boomers are going to get hosed as well.
 
Quote from Scataphagos:

No. The generation before the Boomers. They are the only ones who will make out on our Communist social experiment. (After all, it IS a Ponzi scheme... and who are the few who win in Ponzi?)

Boomers are going to get hosed as well.

Ah, yes, how lucky the pre-boomer generation was. Depression, WWII. One joy after another. How they miss the good old days.
 
Quote from dbphoenix:

Ah, yes, how lucky the pre-boomer generation was. Depression, WWII. One joy after another. How they miss the good old days.

Luckier to have been born after WWII. Not luckier in terms of social support benefits.
 
Quote from Lucrum:

You mean the "Greatest" and or "Silent" generation(s)?

They're called "The Greatest Generation"... I guess that was because of WWII??

In another sense, the Boomers could be The Greatest Generation... they are the largest, were responsible for more growth and paid more taxes than any other.
 
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