Two Emerging Demographics in America
Sometimes spenders are just not rational. It's hard for the angel on one shoulder to overcome the many devils competing on the other for a piece of a consumer's plastic. If everyone were rational, there would be no need for Stuart Vyse's new book, "Going Broke: Why Americans Can't Hold on to Their Money" (Oxford University Press, 368 pages, $24.95). Mr. Vyse takes an academic look at why, despite their best intentions, millions of Americans are living beyond their means and accruing debts that are well beyond their means.
Mr. Vyse uses case studies, including his own, to illustrate how anyone can fall into a black hole of debt, even without living lavishly. This is due to a number of factors, he writes, including new bankruptcy laws, credit card reform, technological advances that turn "wants" into "needs," and a shift in spending culture that started in the 1970s that aggressively pushes credit on consumers and allows for a 24-hour marketplace. Swipe-happy consumers are not just people who can't control themselves but people who turn to plastic when they can't find the money to fix the brakes or pay for schooling.
Mr. Vyse's study of the culture of debt is extensive and perhaps more information than one needs or ever wanted to know. He has several suggestions for how not to go broke, among them "kill your television set," thus limiting exposure to advertisements for things one might not actually need, and "go back to dial-up Internet service" to avoid impulse spending. Yet he offers no advice on what to do if a person is already there. While he acknowledges that he is no financial planning expert (he gives readers some guidance on how to find one), it seems some words on digging oneself out of the hole would be merited. The book suggests that anyone can find him- or herself overwhelmed by debt, and the only way to prevent it is to be proactive about filtering out the voices that compete for one's credit.
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While a certain segment of America is struggling under enormous debt, another, the "working rich," is emerging as a powerful demographic with both spending power and social influence. In "The Middle-Class Millionaire: The Rise of the New Rich and How They Are Changing America" (Currency, 240 pages, $24.95), Russ Alan Prince and Lewis Schiff examine the growing number of Americans who have earned their millions through hard work and entrepreneurial efforts, and who are using their money to effect social change in line with their middle-class values.
According to the authors, 8.4 million American households are, or are on their way to, becoming middle-class millionaires. These people use "millionaire intelligence" to put themselves "in the flow of money." Though they might not be better educated or more qualified, they are more effective because of their networking skills, willingness to take risks, and ability to learn from their failures. They often work for themselves, having started successful businesses and reaped the cash benefits. Since the working rich were raised in traditional homes, they have traditional values. More and more, the book suggests, Americans respond to the needs of these new millionaires and, eventually, the rest of the country is offered the same services. For instance, the working rich were the first to shell out for expensive cars equipped with the OnStar tracking system, which is now available in even the least expensive of GM cars.
According to Messrs. Prince and Schiff, the working rich (and the ultra-rich) now fuel the economy, and the spending of lower-income Americans barely makes a difference. The working rich are the moral compass of the country. In some ways, the writers appear to be saying the working rich are quickly becoming the only demographic that matters, although others may benefit when McMansions increase property values or the local schools improve because of the lobbying efforts of those with money. If this is true, it doesn't bode well for the economic stimulus plan, or the irrational spenders of the country.
vhendrickson@nysun.com
