> I saw my first house decline in value by 25%. This rarely matters unless you are looking to sell or borrow against. > We had interest rates peaking at 15%.

> I saw my first house decline in value by 25%. This rarely matters unless you are looking to sell or borrow against. > We had interest rates peaking at 15%. But inflation was higher at the time. Also rates are 0% now at the Fed level, but if you are a consumer you are going to pay a bit depending on your credit score. > I didn’t have student loans but only because I didn’t go to university, just like 90% of my peer group. The governments (it's really a global phenomena) pushed the general public into universities. It's hard to blame the students when you take that decision at a very early age 17-19 and most of these youth doesn't have any life experience. > Unemployment was much higher than it is now I highly suspect the current unemployment rate is meaningful. To be counted as jobless, you need to register with the local employment office. It's possible today's youth no longer rely on that and use modern alternatives instead. > schools were teaching subjects for obsolete careers They still are. > It wasn’t as rosey as it is often portrayed. It was not. The only difference really is land and housing which was significantly more affordable and did matter less where you lived. Now you need to live next to a "jobs-hub" that have insanely high rent and purchase prices.