Households making more than $100k = 38% would have some difficulty coming up with $1000

[renate]

6. I wish all kids were taught money skills like yours

It makes such a difference when they're young--they can be more rational about choosing whether or where to go to college (and level of debt), choosing a career, choosing to start an IRA right away, not buying a fancy car because they can.... All these things add up, but people look around at a culture where the cars are all shiny and the houses are all big and they think regular people can actually afford to live like that. Most kids don't know any better--why should they? they believe what they see!--and they're starting off in life with such a financial disadvantage. And those are the lucky ones who have reason enough to even hope for a middle-class lifestyle.

Congratulations! I know you wish that everybody were in your boat. It's really the way life should be and it sucks so much that your level of basic security is so hard to come by for most people.