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The data cited in this article comes from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking. Their website[1] has the full 2018 report[2] a

The data cited in this article comes from the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking. Their website[1] has the full 2018 report[2] as well as CSV of the data going back to 2013 when it started. The headline comes from the Retirement section of the PDF, which begins on page 55 of the PDF. As mentioned by others, this "None" category isn't nearly so interesting as some of the other data in the report. Notably: > When asked about their finances, 75 percent of adults say they are either doing okay or living comfortably. This result in 2018 is similar to 2017 and is 12 percentage points higher than 2013. [1] https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/shed.htm https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/shed.htm [2] https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/files/2018-report-economic-well-being-us-households-201905.pdf https://www.federalreserve.gov/consumerscommunities/files/20...

onion2k 7y ago
75 percent of adults say they are either doing okay or living comfortably That percentage would go up if people's expectations of what "doing okay" means goes down. If society is telling millennials that they're doing well if they can afford a room in a shared house and a new iPhone then they will report that they're "doing okay", especially if they have peers who can't afford those things. That doesn't make it true compared to a generation before them who could afford to buy a house and a new car at the same age and strata of society. It's a measure of perception rather than anything objectively useful.
- mercer 7y ago
  As an early 'Millennial' I'm quite surprised by how much those about a decade or younger than myself are okay with things being much worse for them than they were for me. It was easier for me to find housing, study without massive student loans, and receive health care without high costs and/or navigating complicated options. While I can't tell for sure, it also seems like it was easier for me to get a job out of college that paid acceptably, and that offered decent prospects for the future. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, because what I've heard from those a decade or so older than me is the same story. Among them, things like being a 'long-term student' or getting a job with a straight track to various promotions, seemed much more common, and rent was cheaper. And they've expressed being surprised that I seemed so okay with things getting a bit worse than it was for them.

onion2k 7y ago

75 percent of adults say they are either doing okay or living comfortably That percentage would go up if people's expectations of what "doing okay" means goes down. If society is telling millennials that they're doing well if they can afford a room in a shared house and a new iPhone then they will report that they're "doing okay", especially if they have peers who can't afford those things. That doesn't make it true compared to a generation before them who could afford to buy a house and a new car at the same age and strata of society. It's a measure of perception rather than anything objectively useful.

mercer 7y ago
As an early 'Millennial' I'm quite surprised by how much those about a decade or younger than myself are okay with things being much worse for them than they were for me. It was easier for me to find housing, study without massive student loans, and receive health care without high costs and/or navigating complicated options. While I can't tell for sure, it also seems like it was easier for me to get a job out of college that paid acceptably, and that offered decent prospects for the future. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, because what I've heard from those a decade or so older than me is the same story. Among them, things like being a 'long-term student' or getting a job with a straight track to various promotions, seemed much more common, and rent was cheaper. And they've expressed being surprised that I seemed so okay with things getting a bit worse than it was for them.