December 10, 2007, - 12:03 pm
Baby Boomer Generation: As Selfish in Near-Death as They Were in Life
By Debbie Schlussel
They were the first “Me” generation.
The more privileged members of the Baby Boomer generation protested against the Vietnam War on our shores, while their contemporaries gave their lives and limbs to the Viet Cong over there.
They supported illegal drug use, free love/rampant sex, and bra burning. They paved the way for the decline of the nuclear family–today, over 80% of children born to families in Detroit are to single-mother households (and the same goes for other major cities).
They were the most selfish generation. Their parents sacrificed during World War II, but then spoiled them rotten.
And now these spoilees are as selfish in near-death as they were throughout their lives. Dow Jones reports that, even though many Boomers are multi-millionaires, they are leaving little of it to their kids and spending it all on themselves before they die.
But on the bright side, this will hopefully end–with the Boomer generation–the cycle of spoiled counter-cultural senses of entitlement that they had:
The greatest transfer of wealth in history may end up leaving heirs disappointed — and could mean big changes for financial advisers.
As “mass-affluent” boomer millionaires, or baby boomers worth around a few million dollars, start to turn 65, forecasts and patterns in their retirement planning suggest that many may leave little or no substantial wealth to their children.
The affluent boomer crowd typically has plans for a fully funded dream retirement that lasts two decades or more. Having bankrolled kids through years of education and early adulthood, these boomers feel less than obligated to pass along to their children much of their hard-earned wealth. . . .
One recent study by Harrison Group and American Express Publishing, a division of American Express Co., sketches the profile of mass-affluent boomers.
The study describes a group of approximately 2.1 million Americans that has annual discretionary income between $125,000 and $249,000 — that is, income after taxes, mortgage and standard bills — and an average net worth of $1.9 million.
While holding $1.9 million in assets at retirement would seem to assure very comfortable leisure years, paying for that leisure could mean little wealth is left at the end. In fact, more than half (52 percent) of the study’s respondents reported worrying about running out of money before death.
As a result, say economists and financial advisers, when rank-and-file millionaire boomers are pushed to decide between living a full retirement or scaling back post-career spending to preserve capital for their children or grandchildren, a fully funded lifestyle is typically the victor.
“They’re a lot more worried about maintaining their lifestyle than about leaving everybody else wealthy,” says Montgomery.
Academics also see a decline. In October of 2000, Dr. Jagadeesh Gokhale, then a senior economic adviser to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and Laurence Kotlikoff, a professor of economics at Boston University, identified what they called a “declining bequest ethic.” They found fewer than half (48.4 percent) of those interviewed for the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finance believed it was “important to leave an estate to heirs.” The steepest decline in sentiment during the 1990s — almost ten percentage points — came from Americans age 65 and older.
ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME.
Tags: American Express Co., American Express Publishing, Boston University, Cleveland, Detroit, Dow Jones, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Federal Reserve System, Harrison Group, Jagadeesh Gokhale, Laurence Kotlikoff, Montgomery, professor of economics, senior economic adviser, USD
Debbie,
This article reminds me of another one I read
recently trying to blame “baby boomers” for the
state of the country.
I am assuming since I am almost 60, I fall into the catagory of a “boomer”. I do not defend well
but I am going to try to tell you that I DO NOT
agree with you at all. I know too many “boomer”
women who have spent their lives raising children
as single mothers, working 2-3 jobs because their
ex’s have gone to younger women…they fall into
that group of men who you think have been emasculated by women.
I also do not think that “2.1” million comes close to the over 70 million who will be retiring soon. I see many women who are beginning to worry about how they will survive soon. They have SHARED their whole lives. The
culture of this country changed while they were
trying to raise their children. They became full time working mothers with jobs and the super
mom syndrome. When talking to these women…
it is NOT they who have been selfish, BUT their
parents…who have not been divorced and who DO NOT understand how hard it is to be a single mother and fulltime employee with part time jobs
also so that your children can have music lessons
and sports and juggling everything else that goes
with it. And trust me, these women HAVE NOT HAD
PARENTS who shared or even tried to help them…just as I have not.
I busted my axx to raise a daughter who is your
age and a set of twin boys. I worked my axx off
to be sure that she had everything she needed.
She now has her PHD because of the “battles” her
mother fought for her…to maintain quality in the
schools, her music, her sports and my lunchtimes
were spent picking her up to take her to the
“proper” daycare.
This article angers me beyond belief. I am now
living with my twin boys in a one bedroom apt.
because of the economic situation in this state…and because yet, again, another ex has
been scooped up into the arms of a young woman
my daughter’s age. So who do you blame for that? The movies, what? You review movies.
Do you ever see an actor with a partner his own
age……..well, the answer is NO.
You should do more research…there are soon to be millions of poverty striken women in the USA.
cthelight on December 10, 2007 at 2:04 pm