Every time I see the words “middle class” in an article title, I read the article. Why? Because I relate. I consider myself middle class, and I want to know if what is happening in my middle-class life also is happening to others in my economic circle. I’m looking for reassurance that the lifestyle we have worked for and continue to work for is sustainable.

I am grateful to be middle class—to live in a country that actually has a middle class. I like to think that everyone in the U.S. has the opportunity to achieve a middle-class life, but I’ve grown more and more skeptical about this possibility over the last few years. I’ve witnessed too many friends and family members having difficulty finding jobs and paying bills—living from paycheck to paycheck with little hope of ever getting ahead. This concerns me, and I am not alone in my concern. (more...)