American Dreaming

I feel like I must give a little bit of warning before you read this blog. It is a little self-serving and it does have a specific point of view that specifically comes from the type of work that we do. There are ideas that came to me after reading an article from cnn.com about how there is growing skepticism about being able to achieve the American Dream, especially among younger people. II am not claiming to be offering any type of final answer to this issue, but I do think that our special POV can offer something.

We often find that if we get new younger clients, they are often referred by someone else. Seeking outside help does not seem to be as much of an impulse amongst the younger generation. And this makes sense because they have grown up in a time when information that they needed was always at their fingertips. The days of knowledge being limited to what was held at a local library are long past. Now you can learn about anything you want to without going further than YouTube, never mind how much a deeper search or two could lead you.

Even if the younger generation is better at accessing and sharing communal information, that does not mean that they are better at getting to higher levels of expertise. It also doesn’t mean that all the information they are getting is good information. Remain in a limited bubble and lies can proliferate even if they come with good intentions.

And even though I won’t claim it’s a ‘lie,’ that type of dynamic can fuel the thoughts that the traditional American Dream is no longer accessible. But I do think it is a case of if everyone around you says so, then it must be true. If everyone around you has one view on where your finances are headed, you will believe them.

And yes, I can definitely appreciate the difficulties that young people are feeling when comparing themselves to past generations. I don’t believe, however, that the way to combat them is to give up and think it’s a dead issue without massive change. Instead, as with many things, I would counsel people to reach to those outside their circle, seek people with expertise in how to accomplish what you want, and strive to make the changes that get you to where you want to be. After all, something like home ownership may feel impossible but there’s not a rash of unsold houses on every street.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
Connect to Us ~ Facebook ~ X