Two authors argue that what is driving Americans into debt is not 'superficial luxury spending but necessities.'
"There is little doubt that some Americans are spending ostentatiously. But..it is appropriate to debunk the oversimplification." The authors of 'The Two-Income Trap' (Basic Books),claim that "most Americans do not fit the bill" and "provide a clear-eyed correction to the myth of far-flung affluence. "The fact is that it is not only the poor and working poor who are not faring well in America. Many of those in the middle, especially two-income families, are having trouble making ends meet, despite the boom of the 1990's. The authors argue that families are spending more on "a house in a safe neighborhood with a good school....The scarcity of good schooling has created a bidding war that drives up house prices in first-rate school districts." Other factors driving spending include day care and preschool and health insurance.
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: The No-Frills Middle Class

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