News, Many older Americans are living a desperate, nomadic life

[Chuck1]

I believe the increasing number of fulltiming nomads has at least as much to do with economic trends, lowering standards of living among what used to be called the middle class,

Plus we are at peak boomer retirement, 76 million Americans were born between 1946 and 1964, this will go on due to that for another 10 years at a minimum, the ones at the beginning are more likely to have a pension, the ones born after 1955 are more likely to have nothing but SS, things will get worse with many people living on $500-$1000 a month of ss.

 

[mpruet]

Plus we are at peak boomer retirement, 76 million Americans were born between 1946 and 1964, this will go on due to that for another 10 years at a minimum, the ones at the beginning are more likely to have a pension, the ones born after 1955 are more likely to have nothing but SS, ...

That would be true only if those born after 1955 chose not to take advantage of retirement accounts such as 401K, Roth IRAs, or traditional IRAs.

 

[John61CT]

That would be true only if those born after 1955 chose not to take advantage of retirement accounts such as 401K, Roth IRAs, or traditional IRAs.

Or were unable to do so as real wages fell since the 80's, wiped out by the 2008 banksters, etc.

Almost 70% of our population currently have less than $500 net assets, and nearly that many could not raise more than $200 in an emergency.

**** bootstraps ideology, can almost hear the people privileged enough to say "not my problem, I've got mine Jack"

 

[Florida boondocker]

Jess in past threads

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=10317

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=26664

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=26726&page=2

Plenty of others.

Most recently, her documentary
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=28821

wow ... i get busted for posting links without a description but .... sorry John61ct but just trying to understand rules 

 

[John61CT]

All point back to forum threads here only, and all are succinctly but accurately described in the opening phrase.

 

[mpruet]

Or were unable to do so as real wages fell since the 80's, wiped out by the 2008 banksters, etc.

Almost 70% of our population currently have less than $500 net assets, and nearly that many could not raise more than $200 in an emergency.

Not quite true.  In 1980 the median family income was $16K ($48K in today's dollars).  Currently the median family income is $56K.  This means that there has been over a 16% increase in real wages since 1980 ($48K to $56K).  And of course no one lost anything in 2008 unless they sold.  Those who did not sell have seen their assets more than double what they were just prior to 2008.  The average net worth in the USA is at $180K for those between 55-64, so I'm not so sure about 70% having a net worth less than $500.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

"Not quite true. In 1980 the median family income was $16K ($48K in today's dollars). Currently the median family income is $56K. This means that there has been over a 16% increase in real wages since 1980 ($48K to $56K)."

Sounds great in until you factor in that in 1980, dual incomes were not nearly as prevalent. So, yes, household incomes have gone up-because more wives are working. Doesn't sound so great that household income is only $8K more after that. We're definitely better off, oh thou who art so much smarter than us lowly poor schmucks.
Ted

 

[mpruet]

Sounds great in until you factor in that in 1980, dual incomes were not nearly as prevalent. So, yes, household incomes have gone up-because more wives are working.  Doesn't sound so great that household income is only $8K more after that....

True, but there has also been a significant increase in the number of single mothers in the workforce.  In 1980 roughly 60% of all families were dual income. It is now about 66%.  I know that my mother and grandmother had businesses when I was growing up.  I also know that most of the stores in town were owned and worked by mothers.  A lot of the women didn't want to give up the independence that they had gained by earning their own during the war years.

See below for the source of my numbers...

https://taxfoundation.org/america-has-become-nation-dual-income-working-couples/

 

[Travelmonkey]

In Jessica's defense she was writing about a specific part of the mobile population.

I'm not sure why that's so hard to grasp.

She is a part of the CRVL community. And she did spend a generous amount of time with the people who are written about in her book. She also spent a fair amount of time fulltiming.

It's not hard to grasp.  The book, particularly the beginning, has a slant towards the idea that RV dwellers are victims of the mortgage meltdown and/or downsizing forced into the lifestyle.  She focuses on the main character as being typical which really isn't the case.  Only later in the book, around the brief part on Bob Wells, does she address that this lifestyle is a well thought out financial and personality choice for some.  I'm glad I continued with the book (I listened to the audiobook).

 

[WalkaboutTed]

You can say all you want about the average family income going up since 1980.  But with income inequality growing at a geometric rate, the poor shlemiel at the bottom is still screwed. But it is his/her fault for not saving his/her paltry pennies.  You self-righteous haves and have more are so eager to blame the victim-not ever believing that it could happen to them. One accident, one illness, one job loss. But the lower and middle class have been left behind.

 

[lenny flank]

That would be true only if those born after 1955 chose not to take advantage of retirement accounts such as 401K, Roth IRAs, or traditional IRAs.

Assuming most people have access to those. And can spare the money to put into them. 

Also assuming that private retirement investment plans don't tank under another stock loss,

That's the problem with gambling--you never know if you'll win.

 

[lenny flank]

Not quite true.  In 1980 the median family income was $16K ($48K in today's dollars).  Currently the median family income is $56K.  This means that there has been over a 16% increase in real wages since 1980 ($48K to $56K).  And of course no one lost anything in 2008 unless they sold.  Those who did not sell have seen their assets more than double what they were just prior to 2008.  The average net worth in the USA is at $180K for those between 55-64, so I'm not so sure about 70% having a net worth  less than $500.

Not quite true. Since 1980 the vast majority of income gains have gone to those at the very top of the economic ladder. For those at the bottom, inflation-adjusted incomes have gone steadily downwards.

So yeah, you can have  a great retirement if you're rich. If you're not rich, then not so great.

The distribution of wealth in the US is roughly the same as that in Bangladesh or Guatemala:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States

 

[SoulRaven]

My final thought on the article: It brings the "wolf" closer to the door when it comes to tightening restrictions on the lifestyle, it feeds the argument of why it should be "limited", for the protection of people portrayed in the article. I have seen similar things in other demographics. Negative articles about the lifestyle spell "intervention". Those looking at ways to shut down or limit the lifestyle, especially for those with lesser means, can use biased articles like this in their favor, and anyone who thinks there aren't people looking to do this is wrong.

 

[John61CT]

No, the wealthy and attractive youngsters doing it for fun will always get a pass.

Only the ones doing it because they have to will be persecuted.

If minorities get into it in a big way, it would be shut down much more quickly and harshly.

 

[GotSmart]

There were around 600,000 new RVs  sold in the us last year. 

No one person or book has the answer as to why 600,000 people made that choice.  Chill, it is a book about a segment of a huge population. It does not cover everything.

 

[Knox Al]

Is the book worth the Kindle cost of around $10.00 or not?

Knox Al

 

[waldenbound]

Well, the author is a good writer and a good researcher. So it's good in that respect. For those of us who know the deal and have read the articles (mostly the story of Linda May), it's like preaching to the choir. To the person who knows nothing about van or rv dwelling, they probably think "Oh dear me, that's horrible! Get them into housing, let's get the "services" out to them!"
To us, it's not a negative thing, but to the outsider, it probably looks incredibly negative. I felt like I needed a bottle of anti- depressants after I finished it and I'm psyched about getting on the road.

 

[user 13531]

It's a subjective piece, not objective...

The nomads I communicate with work a couple of short term gigs each year, in order to lead the lifestyle they truly enjoy the rest of the year. Many of the nomadic millennial's rely on remote internet jobs or a presence on youtube to fund their lifestyles of choice.

Now if Slab City, Skid Row or The Tenderloin District end up being the poster child for the nomadic lifestyle, America will look upon us quite differently...

 

[VanKitten]

There is a huge number of us who are living the live because we want to.
I could have put my efforts into the purchase of a condo and renovate it....I didn’t. I wanted wheels under my home.

My only real concern is that the powers that be start to put the screws to all of us because of the behavior of the few. And this sort of publication only lends more credence to the belief that we are gypsies in the old sense..ie: thieves, beggars, mentally deranged, druggies, etc. the vast majority of us are not any of those things....but we will be painted with that same brush.

Someone. Should set this author straight...and maybe get a new publication bring the facts forward?

 

[rm.w/aview]

well if Mad Magazine can be such a success perhaps there's hope for one on CheapRVLiving