FrumCA

How much do I need to make to be in the top 1%, 5%, and 10% in the US? It's probably less than you think.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/savingandinvesting/how-much-do-i-need-to-make-to-be-in-the-top-1-5-and-10-in-the-us-it-s-probably-less-than-you-think/ar-AA1gWp6i?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b158669085db4122a4737c6c9e786745&ei=39

Klickitatdave Loc: Seattle Washington

Wow, what struck me in this article is the growing divide between the wealthy and the rest of us. I would guess that the majority of Americans today are not able to save and/or invest their money because they are trapped in minimum-wage jobs and hammered with the rising cost of necessities. Even the lucky ones who have had well-paying jobs are sliding down the economic ladder due to their wages not keeping up with inflation. These trends in my opinion make the question "How much do I need to make to be in the top 1%, 5%, and 10%" irrelevant. For many, it is more a question of how do I/we survive day to day.

rwm283main Loc: Terryville, CT

Amen!

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Perfectly said! Not trying to be political but it doesn't particularly matter which party is in office; they're all one-percenters who have no intention of changing the system or fairly distributing their wealth.

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Exactly!

Stan

pj81156 Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

A quick check of American history reveals that when George Washington was around, he was one of the 3%. It has always been that way folks.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Agreed but back then, and until recently, the difference between the classes was not that much. The disparity between the rich and the rest of us has grown uncontrollably, in a single generation. My father was a mid-level manger in a small municipal water company. In the '60's his middle class salary afforded him two cars in the garage, allowed for a stay-at-home mom, paid off a mortgage and put two kids through college. My wife and I both had to work but we did roughly the same in the '80's and '90's. Think a middle class salary can to that today? Today's middle class is not much better off than the poor as they see the rich flying in private jets and vacationing on mega yachts while wearing thousand dollar shoes and eating thousand dollar dinners.

pj81156 Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

I recognize that now, both must work—usually. Not so with two of our children, not so with two of our grandchildren. It depends… But “back then” and always, in Europe, and Asia, ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome it has always been the haves and have nots. And the “haves” have always been a very small percentage. Each generation recalls the “good old days.” But how could they all have been the good old days? Our grandchildren will recall NOW as the good old days. But now is also the good old days for my wife and me. So were the 90’s and 60’s and 50’s. And we are not anywhere close to being in the 1%. We simply choose to enjoy each moment, while we spend every Friday feeding and clothing the homeless and poor. Let’s choose to find the good and if we can’t, try to make things good in our little corners of the world.

clint f. Loc: Priest Lake Idaho, Spokane Wa

The operative words are “their wealth”. I’d feel a little arrogant to believe I should be able to tell somebody else what to do with any of their stuff or even be able to determine what “fair distributing “ even looks like. I’d love to have a yacht or an airplane but I can’t understand hating people who do.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

If one wants to become wealthy all one needs to do is speak words that rhyme to an audio-taped musical beat. Make those words sexist, include a bit of violence, and put semi-naked women grinding away to the beat of the music and the world will be their oyster as money flows in.