Twenty BIG Trends That Will Dominate America’s Future – Part II

Article By: Eric Platt, Matthew Boesler and Max Nisen at Business Insider
Part II Blogger Comment by David Repka – For Part I visit link

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7. [BLOGGER COMMENT]: Car Culture On The Decline – As a child of the 1980s having a car was the ultimate freedom. My friends and I could not wait until we got our permits and drivers licenses as soon as possible. We worked odd jobs to save up for a car. We had car madness. Few things in life were as eagerly anticipated as getting our first car. A rising trend today is not just postponing the purchase of a car, but finding ways to eliminate owning a car all together. Generation Y seeks experiences, not ownership of material possessions to define them. They want to rent an apartment, not own so they have more disposable income and time to travel and gather experiences. They also want to live in transit oriented apartments in an easy commute to college or work further reducing the need for a car. When they do need a car, they rent it or share it with a car sharing service like ZipCar. The last thing a child of the ’80s would consider is sharing his tasty Z28 with some other dude.

8. [BLOGGER COMMENT]: The Partisan Divide Grows – Many were taught that it was bad manners to discuss religion or politics. Social media has given folks a bullhorn to broadcast their discussions on religion and politics. Making matters worse is the level of vitriol from both sides if you dare disagree with their positions. For the future to be brighter for all when we unite around what values and goals we have in common, rather than bickering over what pulls us apart.
9. [BLOGGER COMMENT]: A New Healthcare Mandate – The dirty little secret in medicine is the amount of work performed for no other reason than physicians covering their asses from the risk of future litigation. Documenting a file with tests performed solely to counter trial attorneys has become an art form. It is only when there is true litigation reform by making the loser of a court case pay that runaway medical costs can finally get under control.
10. [BLOGGER COMMENT]: The Pension Crisis – This comes down to a math problem.   The retirement age and pension benefits were granted once someone hit the magical age of 65. As you can see from this chart buried in a government actuarial report when Social Security laws were made in 1935 this was a nearly unattainable age. When you look at the data from people born from 1850-1890 the life expectancy was 45. As people live longer, healthier more productive lives it is delusional to still use a mortality chart and required payment schedule from a time when very few people were expected to hit the “payout years”.
11. [BLOGGER COMMENT]: High Frequency Trading Domination – How comfortable are you that your retirement savings and family nest egg are being run by a computer program with little or no human involvement? If you are OK with it… keep your money in stocks and mutual funds since that is how they are being managed. This blogger sees a tremendous reluctance from affluent investors to rely solely on algorithmically oriented trading schemes. The Internet Revolution will continue down the path of disintermediation . The President and Congress have recently acted to create the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act which eases the regulatory burdens on smaller companies to attract capital. This blogger sees a rise in self-directed investments into companies via Crowdfunding and private placements that promote income producing commercial real estate and direct investment into operating companies. Wall Street will be disinter-mediated whenever and wherever possible. Fortunes are being made in America every day in owning and operating small businesses. The JOBS Act creates a path for wealthy investors to have more control of their financial destiny.