Mildly interesting
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@jon-nyc said in Mildly interesting:
That’s a pointless and useless statistic.
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in 1989, the 70+ crowd was the Greatest Generation, which was decimated by two wars, and higher mortality from any number of causes. Today, the 70+ crowd are the boomers, much more plentiful in numbers, so it’s only natural for a higher percentage of the wealth is in their hands.
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in 1989, the average mortgage interest rate was/is 10.25%, so all of these people bitching about interest rates as a cause for the affordability crisis can bite me.
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As @Mik points out, a percentage of how much?
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I think I’m typing this post on one of the biggest reasons for the wealth gap. When I was in my 20s, I wasn’t having to buy a $1K phone every 4 years, a new computer every 4-5 years, and spending thousands of dollars on internet and data plans every year. These days it’s expected…
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Google says:
In the USA, the percentage of the population aged 70 and older was approximately 9.1% in 1989 and is projected to be around 11.33% in 2025. The share of the older population has increased over this period due to increased life expectancy and the aging of the baby boomer generation.
Percentage of Population in 1989
Based on population data, the approximate percentages for age groups 70 and older in 1989 were:• 70-74 years: 3.5%
• 75-79 years: 2.8%
• 80-84 years: 2.2%
• 85+ years: approximately 0.6% to 0.9% (extrapolated from data) [4]The total percentage of the population aged 70 and older in 1989 was approximately $3.5% + 2.8% + 2.2% + 0.6% = 9.1%.
Percentage of Population in 2025
For 2025, projected data provides a more precise breakdown:• 70-74 years: 4.5%
• 75-79 years: 3%
• 80-84 years: 1.91%
• 85+ years: 1.92% [7]The total percentage of the population aged 70 and older in 2025 is approximately $4.5% + 3% + 1.91% + 1.92% = 11.33%.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2025/11/06/how-americans-are-thinking-about-aging/
[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/457822/share-of-old-age-population-in-the-total-us-population/
[3] https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPeterMallouk/photos/a-record-32-of-household-wealth-is-now-held-by-americans-that-are-70-years-of-ag/1378770223686396/
[4] https://www.populationpyramid.net/united-states-of-america/1989/
[5] https://www.ssa.gov/oact/NOTES/AS112/as112.html
[6] https://www.cato.org/blog/native-born-americans-are-not-losing-jobs-foreigners
[7] https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/united-states-population-by-age/ -
Wealth accumulates for the 70+ crowd faster than the population growth for the 70+ crowd.
While this does not necessarily suggest "inequity," it does indicate "increased concentration" of wealth for the 70+ crowd.Wealth in pension funds vs. wealth in 401(k)? That comes down to control. The wealth in pension funds meant to benefit the 70+crowd is not controlled by the 70+ crowd. The wealth in 401(k) accounts of the 70+ crowd is controlled by the 70+ crowd. Is one "better" than the other? That's a whole other discussion.
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Meanwhile in Spain, one community raises alms for the poor:
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The Hot Dogs Were So Addictive They Had to Be BANNED from Helen Keller’s House
Helen Keller is remembered as one of the most extraordinary figures of the modern world. Deaf and blind from a young age, she became a prolific author, a tireless activist, and a global lecturer who spoke fiercely against war, inequality, and capitalist injustice. But behind the public icon was a woman with a very simple, very human weakness. She loved hot dogs.
Despite traveling the world and dining in countless countries, Keller’s favorite protein was reportedly the humble American hot dog. According to accounts preserved by the Helen Keller Foundation, she preferred them topped with mustard and relish. No record survives of her stance on ketchup, a mystery that will likely never be resolved. What is clear is that she adored them with enthusiasm.
Her love for hot dogs became such a problem that her longtime secretary and companion, Polly Thomson, eventually banned them from their home altogether. Thomson worried that if allowed, Keller would eat nothing else. It was not a symbolic ban. It was a practical intervention against culinary obsession.
After Thomson’s death in 1960, Keller’s new assistant, Winifred Corbally, took a different approach. Rather than restricting her employer’s cravings, she embraced them. Corbally frequently took Keller to hot dog stands, indulging her favorite food without guilt or restraint. Keller reportedly had one request she repeated often. “Don’t forget the mustard.”
