Do You Feel Wealthier??

[Liberal_in_LA]

-- A rising stock market and climbing home priceshave boosted Americans' net worth to a new high.

The Federal Reserve says the value of Americans' stock holdings, real estate and other assets rose to $84.9 trillion in the first three months of this year. That's up from $83.3 trillion in the final three months of last year.

Stock portfolios rose $487 billion, home values by $503 billion.
http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/Do-You-Feel-Wealthier-307020421.html?device=tablet&c=y

19 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	yes
	7 (37%)
	no
	12 (63%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[Exilednight]

1. I will say that my 401k grew expedentially over the

Past four years, but my pay has stayed the same.

[yeoman6987]

11. On paper I am pretty good

I only keep 6 months of funds in my savings and a few thousand in checking. The Mutuals and stocks are more.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Only stocks I've still got

2.2 shares of Disney in a dividend reinvestment plan, long term unemployed, and last I got appraised, my house is worth 16k or so less than when I bought it.

So no, not really.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Wealthier on paper, maybe.

I'm sure my house has appreciated, and we gain a little bit a month in our retirement accounts (we're not in the stock market anymore; I think they're bonds or something), but we're on fixed income - social security and my husband's pension - so we stay pretty much the same from year to year.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. better to be wealthier on paper than poorer on paper.

[Blue_In_AK]

34. Indeed.

Our duplex was a foreclosure in 1990 when I bought it for $117,000, after a severe real estate crash here. Now it's appraised at almost $350,000. Every once in a while my husband makes a comment about packing up and moving somewhere Outside, but I say, why would we do that when the tenants pay most of the mortgage? Actually, given current rental rates here, I could get more than the mortgage from them, but I like to rent to family or friends and keep the rent low to help them out.

Getting kicked out of my townhouse in 1990 when my landlady got foreclosed on was one of the most fortunate things that's happened to me in my life. .

[PowerToThePeople]

4. My savings and income are at an all time low.

Last edited Thu Jun 11, 2015, 08:46 PM - Edit history (3)

I do not have a stock portfolio and do not own a home, so these increases do not affect me.

[Motown_Johnny]

5. compared to what?

I am better off then when the economy collapsed. That isn't saying much, but if you are grading on that curve I need to be honest and answer yes.

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. better than a few years ago

[leftofcool]

6. Our stocks, income and home assessment always do better under any Democrat!

[ileus]

7. My 403b is awesome if I could cash it out today...get back with me in 23 years.

[DJ13]

8. My wife lost her job due to long term illness 2 months ago

I have been disabled since 1998.

4 months back I was diagnosed with Parkinsons in addition to my existing condition.

Now our water well went dry 2 days back, and the city wants $6,000 to allow us to hook up to the existing water system.

No, I dont feel wealthier.

Not one damned bit.

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. you have been dealing with a lot. I am so sorry.

[DJ13]

31. Thank you

That was a very kind response.

[DawgHouse]

41. How terrible for you!

Isn't there any assistance you can get for the water since you are disabled and your wife's unemployment situation?

[DJ13]

42. The city offers a 10 year loan @ 7% interest

Of course they added a few "fees" on the deal, including a back flow valve and a $100 permit fee (that we had to pay upfront...).

That was about the best we could do on such short notice.

Oh and of course with our luck the weather is 100+ days through next week, so I have to scramble to get some water in a barrel from neighbors, then refill the evaporative air conditioner every 2 hours.

[Lurker Deluxe]

9. another day on the right side of the dirt

Measuring wealth by a financial balance sheet is futile.

I'm close to 50, healthy and generally happy. I have enough money to do pretty much what I want, but I live well below my means.

My parents are over 80 and still here, and I have a good relationship with them. They are generally healthy (for 80) and have been married for well over 50 years.

My job situation has been stable for well past a decade now, and for the most part I like what I do.

I'm wealthy in so many different ways the financial balance sheet, while constantly improving, is the last thing I consider when judging my "wealth".

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. you are very wealthy in the ways that matter

[Orsino]

10. The way to ask this question is really to poll folks younger than me...

...then compare it to my answers when I was that age.

People tend to accumulate wealth as they age, so there may be a lot of other spurious yes answers.

[sharp_stick]

12. We're doing quite a bit

better than we were back in 2008. It's not just the stocks, slowly we're starting to feel a little more secure at work. We've had fewer layoffs and haven't seen a hiring freeze in over a year.

Still keeping my fingers crossed though.

[Warpy]

13. I've watched the paper value of my dad's portfolio soar

since Stupid wrecked the economy in 2008. However, last year was the first year there was any increase in earnings.

I don't live by the per share price, I live by the stock earnings. I used to have interest thrown in there, too, but the Fed has screwed that pooch.

If it holds together until I croak, Doctors Without Borders will get a very nice chunk of change. I don't think it's going to hang together much longer, though. There is too much fraud, too much skimming going on. Something's got to give and it's going to.

[olddots]

14. I live in L.A. ,the answer is absolutely not

downward non mobility is real .

[Zorra]

18. Hell yeah! I just found half of a double cheese pizza in the dumpster!

No mold on it, either!

I'm rich!

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. seriously?

[Zorra]

39. No, just making a sarcastic statement about income disparity in America.

"Wealth" is a relative term.

[WillyT]

19. Hocked Mom's Silver To Pay The Rent... Yowzaa !!!

[Solly Mack]

21. No, but if each of you send me $19.99 a month for life, I will.

But wait! You'll get 2 - Yes! 2! - Thank you notes a month in return.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Than I did in, say, March of 2009? Abso-ffffffucking-lutely.

I wish I'd had some money to put in the stock market back then, when I got yelled at on DU for timidly suggesting "hey, maybe now might be a good time to buy"

THE STOCK MARKET IS AT 6000? IT'S GONNA BE AT 300 BEFORE THIS IS ALL OVER MARK MY WORDS YOU FOOL etc. etc.

[yeoman6987]

37. The last place on earth would I get financial advice is on

DU. Although I love it here for politics, to many negative posts with regards to financial information. The best person to listen to with regards to financial decisions is yourself. The gut says all.

[hunter]

24. Our wealth has been decreasing after one major illness and college for our kids.

I simply don't care any more.

Piss on wall street, and I don't treat our home or any other material thing as an "investment."

[WillyT]

25. K & R !!!

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. .

[F4lconF16]

26. We do worse every year.

Bunch of crap--inequality is only getting worse. Shit's getting real, people, time to wake up. Our system is about as screwed as it can get.

Change is in the air, and it's not a happy one now.

[HERVEPA]

28. Yes, did well last 7 years, market and job-wise. Able to retire reasonably comfortably at age 65.75

Can't do everything I'd like in retirement, but can do enough.
An sorry for those in a less fortunate situation.

[Johonny]

29. Well I can't afford a house and they just keep going higher and higher

Who the * can buy them? My salary meanwhile barely creeps at cost of living. Sure in the stock market I've done well but I can't buy a house on my retirement.

[Texasgal]

30. I am thankful for my job.

That's more than some have. I also live pretty frugally which helps.

Gotta take some good with the bad I guess. Being wealthy does not appeal to me, being able to live and feed my family with a few luxuries is golden. IE: internet, car and some cable.

[zappaman]

32. Since Bush drove the economy into the ditch?

Yes.

[KittyWampus]

33. I'd have dental/medical debt if not for Obamacare. And I have a tiny IRA that goes up

with the Market.

[markpkessinger]

35. Very peculiar way to word the question . . .

I mean, "Do I 'feel' wealthier?" I'm not sure I remember how wealthy I used to 'feel.' If you ask me, "Are you wealthier," to that question I can answer an unequivocal 'No.'

The poll is asking for a subjective answer to what is fundamentally an objective question. So, what's up with that wording?

[postatomic]

36. Is that even a word?

Well, my internal spell check is good with it, so....

No, I don't feel wealthier. But I'm still happy. Can't take that from me.

[MineralMan]

38. Wealthier but far from wealthy.

Since 2008, my income is up, since the economy has improved. The value of my home has returned to what I paid for it in 2004, after serious declines due to GWB.

However, my retirement investments had to be liquidated due to not having enough work, so I'll get to work until I die, most likely.

I have GWB to blame for the decline and Barack Obama for the recovery. Life continues apace. I'm still not wealthy, and will never be, but I'm in a better position today than I was in 2008.

Thanks, Mr. President!

[Cheese Sandwich]

40. not really

[Recursion]

43. I'm still at the age where I want the stock market to be low

Because my IRA is buying stocks and I'd like them to be cheap when I do that.

I have noticed that dividends are doing pretty well, though that's mostly my refusal to invest in a stock simply for resale value (a stock without a dividend is a baseball card).