Posted on 02/19/2026 5:30:12 PM PST by jcon40
The elderly are physically and financially healthier than ever. So why do their needs keep taking priority over younger generations?
Demographics, rising profits and soaring asset values have together wrought a quiet transformation in the American economy. Much of it is now in the hands of the elderly.
As of the third quarter of last year, people 70 and over controlled roughly 39% of all equities and mutual funds owned by households, compared with 22% in 2007, according to Federal Reserve data. Their share of net worth—assets minus debts—
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Thirty years ago we paid at least double on the mortgage — lived a thrifty lifestyle to do it. It was paid off quickly, and that’s when we were able to increase finances. Now we buy houses, cars, etc., with cash.
Owning your own home is a milestone; the future should be rosier.
BTW, only those who own property, or are buying property, should be able to vote. They’ve proven they can make good decisions for their own lives. The decisions they make would improve life for everyone — the “rising tide” thing.
Ayn Rand touched on this.
FDR was a POS no argument there and a socialist POS.
The greatest generation were those who fought that war. You can’t take that away from them and my Uncle was on Normandy.
Your what ifs are irrelevant because history is history. You can’t change it just learn from it and government never seems to learn.
Social Security should be done away with as with any welfare/government handouts period and I’ve said that here on FR over and over for 20 years. It’s not the governments place to take care of you it’s your place. The only exception are those who fought for this country. They are the only ones who are entitled to anything from the government.
“A big hit is the increasing fully taxable RMD for successful IRA investments that should have been put in Roth IRAs rather than traditional IRAs. “
It depends on the tax rate when it goes in and comes out.
Could it be that some boomers place saving and investing at a higher priority level than spending and pretending?
I retired at 65, went back to work at 66 and retired again at 68. I didn’t necessarily want to retire. I needed to learn how to not work after 45 years. It’s been a slow process. I also need to learn how to spend money after saving it for 40 years. Retired people who did that should not be seeing growth in their investments. They should be converting that money to cash and spending it.
People complain about the work ethic of younger people but my son goes to work at 6AM (after showing me funny reels) and comes home at 6PM, working construction and he loves it. Like me, he has an Accounting degree but hated desk work. He’d rather build things.
Hmm. I have a cat that when I wake up, is usually staring at me intently from a nearby dresser.
I think she's trying to figure out if I'm alive and if not, am I edible.
If people start to stare at me like my cat does, I'd say tough times are ahead.
-not quite a Boomer-
“This isn’t a big deal because people eventually die and their real estate, stocks, bonds, etc will be transferred to other people. ...”
You are right in everything you say.
I think the whining comes from people who want a redistribution of corporate stock, to themselves of course, so that they can sell said stocks and buy stuff.
“our “Greatest Generation” parents who’d never paid diddly into the system”
Boomer here, my folks paid into SS, I have my grandfathers SS original SS card from 1936.
That’s her. I was too tired to look it up.
L
the money I “give” to SS.
You didn’t give to SS? What’s with the quotation marks
I have read all of the 150 comments and I believe we can conclude the WSJ is no longer a reliable news source.
It is sad that we no longer have a great business newspaper to educate people about finances so they can lead a prosperous life.
This is interesting because even though I fall into this category I never feel I’m marketed to. Black, feminist and homosexual ads are not going to make me want to buy anything.
They were set up best to weather the collapses in real estate and the kung flu lock downs. I got wiped out in real estate and the lock downs wiped out what I built for a business.
Since turning off my TV in the 1990’s, I have no idea what I am supposed to believe or do. I just do what I want, like some kind of arthritic anarchist.
“Since turning off my TV in the 1990’s, I have no idea what I am supposed to believe or do. I just do what I want, like some kind of arthritic anarchist.”
Man, that’s just crazy talk right there.
‘ Since you know it all, except maybe how to make money, tell me about the government programs and incentives that benefitted me. Specifics’
You personally? Shrug.
The country’s citizens benefited from things like the GI bill.
30 year fha mortgages.
Housing act 1949
Heavily subsidized higher education
Employment act 1949
Pensions
Social security
Stuff like that
lol. It’s a statement of fact, not envy.
👍 see 157
Because they have their shut together, unlike the big and little children.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.