Are you middle class?

万得福

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogdec13/middle-class12-13.html

What Does It Take To Be Middle Class?   (December 5, 2013)


1. Meaningful healthcare insurance
2. Significant equity (25%-50%) in a home or other real estate
3. Income/expenses that enable the household to save at least 6% of its income
4. Significant retirement funds: 401Ks, IRAs,  etc.
5. The ability to service all debt and expenses over the medium-term if one of the  primary household wage-earners lose their job
I then added a taken-for-granted sixth:
6.  Reliable vehicles for each wage-earner
Author Chris Sullins suggested adding these additional thresholds:
7. If a household requires government assistance to maintain the family lifestyle,  their Middle Class status is in doubt.
8. A percentage of non-paper, non-real estate hard assets such as family heirlooms, precious metals, tools, etc. that can be transferred to the next generation, i.e. generational wealth.
9. Ability to invest in offspring (education, extracurricular clubs/training, etc.).
10. Leisure time devoted to the maintenance of physical/spiritual/mental fitness.
Correspondent Mark G. recently suggested two more:
11. Continual accumulation of human and social capital (new skills, networks of collaborators, markets for one's services, etc.)
And the money shot:
12.  Family ownership of income-producing assets such as rental properties, bonds, etc.

To qualify as middle class (that is, what was considered middle class a generation or two ago), the household  must actually own/control wealth that won't vanish if the investment bubble du jour pops, and won't be wiped out by a medical emergency.

.
.
Since we'll be paying at least $15,000 more in SSA and income taxes, then we're up to $111,000 as the minimum household income to maintain a middle class lifestyle for two self-employed adults.

An individual earning $111,000 is in the top 10% of all wage earners. A houshold earning $111,000 is in the 80%-90% income bracket--the lower half of the top 20%. This suggests that the "middle class" has atrophied into the 10% of households just below the top 10%. Households in the "bottom 80%" are lacking essential attributes of a middle class lifestyle that was once affordable on a much more modest income.

ssgo2008

这个标准太高，应该是小富阶级了。 我觉得中产就是有车有房， 不领政府救济。

archers

高了

万得福

ssgo2008 发表于 2014-5-21 15:48
这个标准太高，应该是小富阶级了。 我觉得中产就是有车有房， 不领政府救济。  ...

有车好说，有房就不好说了。租房算不算有房？原帖也才说25%。

ssgo2008

万得福 发表于 2014-5-24 20:25
有车好说，有房就不好说了。租房算不算有房？原帖也才说25%。

没买，能买起房子也算，