07/04/2026
Nearly 70% of Americans now say the American Dream either no longer holds true or never did.
That should make people uncomfortable.
Because the American Dream was supposed to be simple.
Work hard. Get ahead. Buy a home. Raise a family.
Build something better than what you came from.
Now the typical first-time homebuyer is 40 years old.
A record 55% of Americans say their finances are getting worse.
Over 22 million renters are cost-burdened, which means they’re spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
And somehow people still want to act like this is just a mindset problem.
No way. I still believe in hard work.
I still believe in personal responsibility. I still believe in saving, investing, building skills, and making better financial decisions.
But pretending the affordability crisis is just people being lazy is one of the dumbest financial takes out there.
People are working. People are trying. People are exhausted.
The problem is that the old promise used to feel like a ladder.
Now, for millions of Americans, it feels like the ladder keeps getting pulled higher every year.
