Welcome to members of the Commonwealth Club

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I was at the event on Tuesday and I appreciate your participation. I was a little disappointed that the panel (or the moderator, really) never got around to addressing the issue dangled so tantilizingly in front of us in the program description. (The fact that this may be the first generation in nearly 100 years to not enjoy the same standard of living as their parents.) Debt is a big part of the problem, to be sure, but it's just one of the issues. I did find one report issued by the census that seems to declare (on page 19) that the income of young men was greater than that of their father's -- until recently. And this report is 10 years old! (see http://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-203.pdf) I'm curious what you and your readers think. You talk a lot about money management and alternative ways of creating wealth. Would we have needed this insight 30 years ago? Is it possible that we will "enjoy a standard of living" below that of our parents? And what does that really mean?

Why didn't anyone on the panel address why students have so much student loan debt? it's because education costs have skyrocketed and financial aid has dwindled. i think maybe they should have addressed how to bring down the cost of education or maybe what schools should be doing to encourage people to attend college while not going broke, especially in California, the cost of a CSU and UC education have doubled at least.