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Showing posts from October, 2017

How Millennials are Changing the Market, DUH!

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What is up OSC readers???  This post was originally titled "In between generations."  I identify with the genX childhood experiences, but I can also relate to the buying habits of millennials.  As a result I often feel stuck in between the two generations and wanted to write about my angst. Then someone beat me to it. In fact a bunch of people beat me to it...but I digress. I do feel as if I grew up as an analog kid but became a digital adult.  I was around when dial up happened and then gave way to dsl.  I remember brick phones, flip phones, sliders, qwerties, blackberries, flip touch, and then the almighty... The point is that I've been around the consumeristic block a bit.  My in-laws and I have a great relationship as well and we love trading stories of the here & now v.s. the old day.  I also enjoy talking to my grandparents about consumerism (although my grandparents certainly aren't consumers!) I know that a bunch of other people hav

Net Worth Update: October 2017

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DISCLAIMER:  Hello.  This is a monthly net worth report.  I am currently using my banks website to track my net worth, along with personal capital.  I do not include the value of my house but do include the mortgage as a debt.  I do this because it is unlikely we will sell and I prefer liquidity to perceived value.  Sit back, grab a beverage and enjoy comparing yourself to my numbers.  You'll feel better about yourself, I promise:) Hello again faithful readers.  Fall is in the air....at least for the moment.  Round' here the weather changes faster than a kid can barf up his (excessively eaten) candy corn at a football game <---- Yes I did do that once. If that thought doesn't excite you, maybe my numbers will! Net Worth:  - $75,354 Difference from September 2017:  + $7,197 Total Cash Available:  $13,459 Total Investments:  $54,429 Total Debts:  $143,242 Side Note:  I started using round numbers for the main section of this report...looks a bit cleaner

Middle Class, Schmiddle Class

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Everywhere I look these days someone is discussing the "downfall" of the middle class in America. This of course spirals into talk of how the economy will fail because we NEED the middle class. News anchors and bloggers are quick to blame the oppressive CEO's and the growing income inequality...but what is really going on and can it be fixed? First lets define middle class.  Middle class is often defined in terms of income.  The stats below are often what you will see if you flip on a T.V. Income stats from www.cnbc.com - Household of one: $24,042 to $72,126 - Household of  two : $34,000 to $102,001 - Household of  three : $41,641 to $124,925 - Household of  four : $48,083 to $144,251 - Household of  five : $53,759 to $161,277 Other studies indicate that middle class is measured by wealth.  If you have around $400,000 in assets then you may be considered middle class. Do you spend 38,000 - 50,000 annually?  Then you may be middle class. I've always