[peterb]

The rich, super rich, wealthy, super wealthy etc…are all names spouted about. Like upper, middle and lower classes. These have no standards to compare them towards. I think it would be more useful to compare standards of living, with a historical perspective to understand where we’ve been as a nation, where we are now and where we’re going. I suspect that we’ve peaked-out from a standard of living measure in the last couple of decades and are now headed downward.
If we were to use median house hold income as a standard…it’s change in the last 20 years has been tiny compared to the real rise in the cost of living and inflation in general. At around $50K per year, it barely covers rent, food and health care after taxes. I would say that the median HH income is now a living wage, and that’s it.

Is a living wage equal to being middle class? Maybe, but if the top 10% of incomes are $100K or more, then I would say that maybe 15% of the country are not living from paycheck to paycheck.

[peterb]

The rich, super rich, wealthy, super wealthy etc…are all names spouted about. Like upper, middle and lower classes. These have no standards to compare them towards. I think it would be more useful to compare standards of living, with a historical perspective to understand where we’ve been as a nation, where we are now and where we’re going. I suspect that we’ve peaked-out from a standard of living measure in the last couple of decades and are now headed downward.
If we were to use median house hold income as a standard…it’s change in the last 20 years has been tiny compared to the real rise in the cost of living and inflation in general. At around $50K per year, it barely covers rent, food and health care after taxes. I would say that the median HH income is now a living wage, and that’s it.

Is a living wage equal to being middle class? Maybe, but if the top 10% of incomes are $100K or more, then I would say that maybe 15% of the country are not living from paycheck to paycheck.

[peterb]

The rich, super rich, wealthy, super wealthy etc…are all names spouted about. Like upper, middle and lower classes. These have no standards to compare them towards. I think it would be more useful to compare standards of living, with a historical perspective to understand where we’ve been as a nation, where we are now and where we’re going. I suspect that we’ve peaked-out from a standard of living measure in the last couple of decades and are now headed downward.
If we were to use median house hold income as a standard…it’s change in the last 20 years has been tiny compared to the real rise in the cost of living and inflation in general. At around $50K per year, it barely covers rent, food and health care after taxes. I would say that the median HH income is now a living wage, and that’s it.

Is a living wage equal to being middle class? Maybe, but if the top 10% of incomes are $100K or more, then I would say that maybe 15% of the country are not living from paycheck to paycheck.

[peterb]

The rich, super rich, wealthy, super wealthy etc…are all names spouted about. Like upper, middle and lower classes. These have no standards to compare them towards. I think it would be more useful to compare standards of living, with a historical perspective to understand where we’ve been as a nation, where we are now and where we’re going. I suspect that we’ve peaked-out from a standard of living measure in the last couple of decades and are now headed downward.
If we were to use median house hold income as a standard…it’s change in the last 20 years has been tiny compared to the real rise in the cost of living and inflation in general. At around $50K per year, it barely covers rent, food and health care after taxes. I would say that the median HH income is now a living wage, and that’s it.

Is a living wage equal to being middle class? Maybe, but if the top 10% of incomes are $100K or more, then I would say that maybe 15% of the country are not living from paycheck to paycheck.

[peterb]

The rich, super rich, wealthy, super wealthy etc…are all names spouted about. Like upper, middle and lower classes. These have no standards to compare them towards. I think it would be more useful to compare standards of living, with a historical perspective to understand where we’ve been as a nation, where we are now and where we’re going. I suspect that we’ve peaked-out from a standard of living measure in the last couple of decades and are now headed downward.
If we were to use median house hold income as a standard…it’s change in the last 20 years has been tiny compared to the real rise in the cost of living and inflation in general. At around $50K per year, it barely covers rent, food and health care after taxes. I would say that the median HH income is now a living wage, and that’s it.

Is a living wage equal to being middle class? Maybe, but if the top 10% of incomes are $100K or more, then I would say that maybe 15% of the country are not living from paycheck to paycheck.

[peterb]

Our tax rate is 9.3% and long term cap gains is taxed the same amount. The Fed govt long term cap gains is 18%. If CA goes to 12%…..

[peterb]

Our tax rate is 9.3% and long term cap gains is taxed the same amount. The Fed govt long term cap gains is 18%. If CA goes to 12%…..

[peterb]

Our tax rate is 9.3% and long term cap gains is taxed the same amount. The Fed govt long term cap gains is 18%. If CA goes to 12%…..

[peterb]

Our tax rate is 9.3% and long term cap gains is taxed the same amount. The Fed govt long term cap gains is 18%. If CA goes to 12%…..

[peterb]

Our tax rate is 9.3% and long term cap gains is taxed the same amount. The Fed govt long term cap gains is 18%. If CA goes to 12%…..

[peterb]

Drastic situations call for drastic measures. In times like these I would tend to trust anecdotal information and what I am seeing for myself as more indicative of reality than numbers comming from institutions. For example, inflation from the govt is way too low as is unemployment figures. NAR is always spinning the numbers to make things look better. When many people start telling me that they’re seeing empty houses sit for months or that they know people that have not paid mortgages for months, etc…. I tend to think there’s more “truth” on the street than in published “data” from insitutions.

[peterb]

Drastic situations call for drastic measures. In times like these I would tend to trust anecdotal information and what I am seeing for myself as more indicative of reality than numbers comming from institutions. For example, inflation from the govt is way too low as is unemployment figures. NAR is always spinning the numbers to make things look better. When many people start telling me that they’re seeing empty houses sit for months or that they know people that have not paid mortgages for months, etc…. I tend to think there’s more “truth” on the street than in published “data” from insitutions.

[peterb]

Drastic situations call for drastic measures. In times like these I would tend to trust anecdotal information and what I am seeing for myself as more indicative of reality than numbers comming from institutions. For example, inflation from the govt is way too low as is unemployment figures. NAR is always spinning the numbers to make things look better. When many people start telling me that they’re seeing empty houses sit for months or that they know people that have not paid mortgages for months, etc…. I tend to think there’s more “truth” on the street than in published “data” from insitutions.

[peterb]

Drastic situations call for drastic measures. In times like these I would tend to trust anecdotal information and what I am seeing for myself as more indicative of reality than numbers comming from institutions. For example, inflation from the govt is way too low as is unemployment figures. NAR is always spinning the numbers to make things look better. When many people start telling me that they’re seeing empty houses sit for months or that they know people that have not paid mortgages for months, etc…. I tend to think there’s more “truth” on the street than in published “data” from insitutions.

[peterb]

Drastic situations call for drastic measures. In times like these I would tend to trust anecdotal information and what I am seeing for myself as more indicative of reality than numbers comming from institutions. For example, inflation from the govt is way too low as is unemployment figures. NAR is always spinning the numbers to make things look better. When many people start telling me that they’re seeing empty houses sit for months or that they know people that have not paid mortgages for months, etc…. I tend to think there’s more “truth” on the street than in published “data” from insitutions.

[Author]

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