The problem is our aging population is a very expensive problem today. We’ve done a crap job managing the past, present, and future with our entitlements. We don’t have time to wait for demographics to change... I think we will need to move to a Medicare 4 all like system but the devil is in the details. Moderates are making the same mistake as Hillary, standing for nothing means you are at the mercy of whatever narrative is happening.
Everyone is wetting their thumb and trying to judge which way the wind is blowing. There is 20-25% of the population that has decided they want greater governmental control and want a clear single payer system. The problem is, that no one knows where the tipping point is..... and politicians know it is better to be late to the party than early. At what point do enough Boomers die off or become more supportive of a single payer system, and at what point do enough Millenials become politically active. You say we cannot wait, but that is likely exactly what happens.
Key word growing concern, it's not the national emergency you make it out to be. Yes there are areas that 70K will have trouble making ends meet but that's an issue of location there are people living very comfortable elsewhere in the U.S. on 70K.
It would be prudent to not wait until we realize the true cost of how much we are going to bail out boomers. It’s not just federal entitlements, but state and municipal pensions are going to eat us alive too. I feel confident we are near the tipping point, the record expansion will end and a strong economy won’t be able to provide cover up poor decisions.
Dude any new car is a bad financial investment but how the hell are saying something is a bad financial decision when you make 70K a year and crying poor. You don't have to live in the suburbs of Boston, that seems to be a very bad financial decision. Why is a car based on a old platform a bad financial decision?
He's being a car guy -- Nissan just kind of forgot about improving Z cars for like a decade or more you can buy something much better/ modern for a similar price. It's like buying a Dodge Challenger.
In general , I have no disagreements with anything you stated here …. I suppose it was the irony of a person claiming to earn nearly 200% the national average wage and ~12% more than the average household income while having no dependents complaining that lifes hard / the American Dream is out of reach. Life is hard and nothings guaranteed and financial stability takes time , planning and a lot of effort. I think most of us would be content in that situation , knowing we're headed in the right direction. And we cant fail to mention that college debt isn't like most other forms of debt with very punitive interest rates. They are generally fixed and paid over from 10 - 25 years. When the average graduate leaves college after four years with $30k in debt - that's not an insurmountable figure , its an investment and takes time to pay off - just like any other. These were choices they made (led to believe that was necessary or not) and there are options beyond a 4 year university and a pile of debt. We are by no means wealthy , just comfortably in the middle class but we managed to put our son thru college with no debt , mind you that's not 4 years at a major university but two at a CC followed by finishing up at UH while living at home until the last year and he's worked full time for the duration. That's tough to do - a full load of classes and a full time job. I have conceded the fact that home ownership is a tough nut to crack in todays economy - But then I think about my situation and my parents - it really wasn't much different in 1970 or 1990 than it is today. In both situations we had to scrimp and save to make that happen , living meagerly in the short term saving a down payment to ease the burden beyond - and in both cases in a lesser financial situation the poster mentioned claims to be currently. Much of our financial situation is dictated by our own choices … Its funny you mention the fitters union - After I left college on a totally unrelated degree , I ended up joining the pipe fitters union , worked my way from the bottom to overseeing entire projects prior to starting my own company.
You make a good point here and it is a serious problem and one that medicare for all isn't going to solve all by itself. Traditionally , Family was the key to taking care of the elderly , today we seem to expect someone else to do it and that costs a lot of $$$. Its not easy taking care of family members when you have to work full time while doing it. I've been thru that exact situation myself after my grandmother had a heart attack and stroke in 1997. Dementia on top of her physical issues , at the time I was running my own business , my wife worked full time while caring for her as best we could. It was beyond difficult and eventually , in 2004 we made the decision to sell my company so I had time to dedicate to her care - this went on until 2013 when she passed. The medical bills would have eaten us alive going about it in any other way for such a long duration. I suppose we could have put her in a nursing facility but …. I couldn't let that happen. It also allowed me to be home the vast majority of the time while my kids were very young and keep them on the right track. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
You say that probably no having driven one. Its not only fast but nimble … and fun as hell to drive with the manual. Not much can match it in the $45k price range - definitely not the Challenger as the comparable model to the Nismo package is about $55k and doesn't handle near as well being a much larger platform. I don't disagree that its a poor investment but you try telling that to a 21 year old kid with disposable income. Me , I drive a 20 year old truck and a 2015 Mini Cooper S that I bought used and will probably end up giving to my other son next year or two.
It’s certainly human nature to be so nostalgic and looking back at traditions... But home ownership has changed. Getting old has changed... Work has changed... One of my biggest issues with the Trump platform, it’s so damn nostalgic and relies on the nostalgic.
I understand that but a much better car in this instance is a matter of opinion. its not like we are talking about a tercel as opposed to a miata. And it's certainly not a bad financial decision if that was the car he wanted, we are not talking about a lemon. This is the same guy that got bent out of shape because posters said they liked the old Supra better.
Yes, but also consider that he is an honorably discharged Marine with honors, that also has a graduate degree in the STEM field. Thirty years ago that was a golden ticket. Now it isn't so much. I have been hard on that poster in the past, but in fairness he usually doesn't just complain, he states it in the context of why his political positions are what they are. Yes, and I think it is likely fair to say he has done this. He spent nearly two decades in school and also served in the Marines. FWIW I think he will be fine, but there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Would you feel that way under his circumstances? Possibly. I do think some of it is personality specific, but he has put in a lot of work and done everything that society has claimed makes someone exemplary. This really depends. Deferments can cause real interest issues. Further, 25 years is a third of someone's lifetime. The cost of secondary education is absurd at this point. People should not be paying back college loans for 25 years. The average debt for a student that goes to graduate school is $70,000 and rapidly climbing. An under graduate degree has less value than ever before. Over the last generation the cost of college and student debt has sky rocketed. Again for a graduate degree it is far worse. The figures concerning average student debt at graduation are based on an analysis by Mark Kantrowitz of data from the 1992-1993, 1995-1996, 1999-2000, 2003-2004, 2007-2008, 2011-2012 and 2015-2016 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), with geometric interpolation and projection in between NPSAS years. Every case is different, and hard work and careful planning is still important. However many kids do not have a parent willing of able to help them pay for college. Also, nothing against community college and UH but it is not nearly as challenging as other schools where it is very difficult to take a full load and have a full time job. I would know, I did it at a very challenging school and I was the only one in my class working full time. I do not expect others to do what I did. I was extremely ambitious and really did not have to put in the effort many of my classmates did to get good grades. Home ownership is very different now, than in the past. I remember handling all of my mother's closing, getting the loan, etc when I was in high school. Also, the ever increasing property taxes are a concern as well. Absolutely...... also the inverse of that is true as well. It is a good, solid profession (at least in Chicago). I have some friends that are in the union up here. They do okay. They are not rich but not poor either, with good benefits. It is a good gig for someone that doesn't have 7-8 years of college.
The only reason I mentioned the car was to show that at ~$70k …. with no dependents you have disposable income after paying the bills and even wit that hefty car note and insurance payment my son is able to put money away for a rainy day - Now that's a totally different story when were talking about a family of 3-5. Kids are expensive. I just searched average rent in Boston …. FFS $2860 for a one bedroom and $3670 for two … Houston by comparison …. $1160 / $1460. I have a 4 bedroom rental property in Tomball / Three Lakes that goes for ~$1450. Making the decision to live in or around Boston , NYC , San Fran …. is a costly one. Here's a Forbes article on the matterhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2019/02/04/breaking-down-the-highest-and-lowest-rent-costs-in-the-u-s/#293decff6d2b
Yeah location makes a huge difference. I just don't understand why the poster said it was a bad financial decision based on the platform being older.
The difference in location is pretty much the difference in driving that $50k car or not … I suppose after that simple search - I can se why he's unsatisfied. As for basing the decision on an older platform - that was just personal opinion on his part.
That wasn't meant as a serious statement. I thought it was obvious. Though a new 370Z might not have the best resale value just because of old the platform is. I would love Nissan to do a refresh. It hits the sweet spot between light and underpowered such as the BRZ and heavy but powerful such as a Mustang GT.
How could that be obvious? Why are you still commenting on the 370Z, it certainly does not make anyone think you were not serious. Should I call you a millennial for doing so?
Uh... I mean there were like 5 posts back and forth about how confused they were about my comment about the 370Z. I thought it was obvious. I wouldn't really care if you call me a millennial. I wouldn't think it comes from severe animosity and would think it's light hearted.
I don't think it's anyway light hearted to denigrate anybody because of there age and when they were born. Maybe I am wrong but I seem to remember you having an issue with people calling out millennials. Anyway I could be wrong but I am getting tired of all the labels I think it just divides us more.
Sorry bud, it seems like we are splitting this conversation up into two threads. I'm sure I've made comments about older generations sometimes being oblivious to how times have changed for millennials in terms of economic upward mobility due to several factors such as student loans. If you did read my comment when Iused the term boomer, I did preface by saying "some boomers" so I tried not to paint an entire generation as a hive mind. And I didn't think it was serious enough to personally offend @Corrosion at a serious level because I thought our disagreement wasn't vast ocean. I knew he and I align on values on many other things from reading his posts in this sub.
