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I took an assessment of my family recently and pointed the same thing out to my wife. Her two adult kids are, even with our help, living just above the grasp of poverty. The outlook for the grand kids at this trajectory is woeful. Our resources are up a tad over the past ten years but in constant dollars, they are down albeit we are still in the upper quartile. We are not pulling away rather the bottom is falling fast IMO. Part of this is the very low interest rates supported by the fed: it has led to zero income on fixed investments and a dramatic drop in the dollar and by extention purchasing power.

Where does this all lead? Well, I probably will not be here to see it due to age but for those under 50 I would expect a giant upheaval in the future and it is not going to be pretty. IMO having had some degree of wealth and having seen it evaporate is much different than never having had any at all. Those foisted far below the relatively comfortable life they enjoyed will be the ones most willing to strke out. My advice, arm up if you have not done so yet.

Your situation is very close to mine. My family is not well-off, by any means, but neither are we wondering where our next meal is coming from. Comfortably middle class is probably a good way to put it.

If you had told me 20 years ago that I'd be earning what I'm earning right now, I'd say, "Probably. I work hard, have a degree, and so on.". However, if you had told me that I'd be earning what I'm earning - AND - cutting all the fat out of the budget, cutting coupons, shopping consignment sales, and so on just to stay afloat.....I'd have told you that you were crazy.

My $0.02? Next 4-6 years will tell the tale. If an administration is elected who will make some hard decisions, we face an ugly few years....but only a few. Basically, "Hit Rock bottom, then start to recover". Think "America, Circa the late 70s, early 80s".

However, if we get more of the same (I'm thinking Hillary and a more-or-less ineffective House and Senate) things will actually probably be *better* in the short term. They'll spend stupid amounts of money trying to prop things up, but the downward skid that we're on will continue. We'll be so far in the hole that when we hit bottom, there won't be any recovering. Think "the UK, circa right now".

Just my opinion. 'Tisn't worth any more or less than anyone else's.

Thank You, Mouton, for your upfront and honest post. My Better Half and I are in the over 60s group. We are surviving and not much more. A little surviving but not much more. Our children, thus far, are fine. Sorry to hear of your children's plight and if things were to take a further down turn I could not say my children would be okay. My family has been for four generations involved in law enforcement. We have seen the problems up close and personal. Two of my children are armed to the teeth as am I and reside in the U.S. One child is out of this country because of certain conditions within the job market in this country. That child is okay too. Child, out of the country, is not armed to the teeth because of laws within the country that child resides but is former Military and has Military friends within the country residing there and without saying much of anything else that child is okay. I appreciate your post and none of us knows what the future holds but the future looks to be an oncoming freight train. My empathy, Mouton. May conditions improve for all Americans. If not I agree with the last line of your post ... no matter the conditions. If had not been for that terrible boating accident about a year ago though would be armed more than to the teeth. Am planning another boat trip soon. Am taking all my weapons again and all of families' weapons. Guess I never learn. Anticipate will come back without any weapon once more.