“A tale of two very different shoppers.”
That is how a recent national news article chronicling the financial difficulties confronting many middle-class families across the country terms the current year-end holiday season.
A closer look at the story reveals what is concerning to a growing band of financial commentators zeroing in on economic realities that seem to be centrally playing out in the United States.
One such reality is this: Although wealthier families across the country have largely been able to materially curb their debt in recent years, following the so-called Great Recession, the same has not been true for the middle-class demographic in American society.
Over a lengthy span of time, of course, the middle class is what has largely defined the country. That is, the income earned and spent by the country’s huge middle class has fueled the economy and been a primary catalyst for growth.
A recent report authored by financial firm Morgan Stanley states the middle class is “eroding,” owing to a host of factors that include stagnant wages, spiraling costs and growing debt levels.
Although income inequality has always existed in Colorado and elsewhere across the country, of course, Morgan Stanley sees it as being exacerbated presently.
Purposeful and positive change will hopefully restore a healthy equilibrium.
In the interim, present difficulties can serve to point out the importance of sound financial planning for individuals and families with an eye on the future. It is precisely the obstacles that occasionally arise in life that underscore the need for a sound estate plan that can help overcome current challenges, preserve assets of the long term, provide for family members as needed, and legally curb tax outlays.
And that is why people often hear the refrain that the best time to craft and implement an estate plan is now.