Millennials, Stress, and Making Ends Meet

People only see what they are prepared to see. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

A new survey provides yet another window into the challenges faced by the Millennial generation, (currently 18-33 years old). In December 2014, the U.S. Census told us that 1 in 5 Millennials live below the poverty line and have lower rates of employment compared to their Baby Boomer parents of a similar age. In February 2015, the American Psychological Association (APA) piled on with their own survey and report, “Stress in America: Missing the Health Care Connection.”

The report bestowed Millennials with the dubious distinction as “the most stressed-out generation.” Four generations were surveyed to find out what stressed them and how much:

Matures (67+)
Boomers (48-to-66)
Gen Xers (34-to-47)
Millennials (18-to-33)

You can probably guess the number-one stressor across the board – correct – money and finance. The report accurately links high levels of stress to the greater risk of chronic disease and highlights that healthcare should take psychological-stress issues more seriously by providing programs that help people manage stress before it turns into a chronic health problem.

Yet, it comes as no surprise to this writer that the APA recommendations, like recommendations from other spheres of life, like politics, education, law, and science, do so while wearing blinders. They address the symptoms and ignore the elephant in the room: the cause of stress symptoms and why the Millennials bear the brunt.

Anyone who has been paying attention realizes that the money they take home today does not go as far as it used to 5 years ago, let alone, say in the 1980s. Actually, almost no one will tell you that this pattern of paying more and getting less only gets worse with time. Financial challenges will increase for subsequent generations unless they either happen to breathe the rarefied air of the top 1%, or somehow learn the truth about money. You’ll notice that of the four generations surveyed, it was the youngest group that scored the highest in levels of stress.

So what are we talking about here? The global central-banking monopoly. If you have the courage to peek behind the curtain, you will find a system of money that, over centuries, has delivered private profits to its shareholders via a cleverly-designed money-making scheme; the first formal venue was the Bank of England circa 1694. Money is a private product loaned into existence that we pay to use (interest). Interest payments travel up the pyramid in ever-increasing amounts to shareholders, thanks to the magic of compound interest.

Translation? While those at the top drown in obscene amounts of automated money, most everyone else suffers the discouragement of the never-ending loss of purchasing power. Further translation: Each generation gets a worse hand dealt to them than the one before because, by design, their money purchases less. On the other hand, the cost of living rises due (in part) to the fact of businesses adding the cost of their debt service on to the price of goods and services they sell.

Heaven forbid we should educate our young people to recognize the “little man” pulling the strings behind the curtain. Imagine if young people learned the hidden facts of wealth-extraction and the subsequent systemic loss of purchasing power. Having an expanded financial IQ, they would clearly understand the need to rethink the best ways to earn, spend, save and invest. Then, and only then, can anyone become victorious over financial stress. Everything else is but a Band-Aid measure.

Susan Boskey is author of the book, The Quality Life Plan®: 7 Steps to Uncommon Financial Security. The information in the book not only exposes the systemic-root cause of the 2008-09 economic meltdown, but perhaps more importantly, provides critical steps to help everyday people turn the tide and build real wealth. To learn more or to purchase the book, visit her website at http://TheQualityLifePlan.com