More than a third of California households have virtually no savings, are at risk of financial ruin, report says (mortgages, how much)

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

Of course, I totally agree with you. I think that a liberal arts education has helped me tremendously in that regard. I don't doubt anything you're saying and I have seen it in my life too.

But most people do not think that matters and they would prefer the life skills necessary to get a job right out the gate. I understand that because people are generally looking to pay for a type of vocational training of sorts.

Yes, I've found that sort of mentality pretty widespread, and somewhat a bit shortsighted; one has to think longer term. Vocational training can be obsolete in time, but life skills never go out of date. Well said.

[Independentthinking]

I'm not real big on anecdotes, but I'll always be interested in results...

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fgek.../#3b8d155fca74

Employers want people that can hit the ground running. Kids, learn a specific trade and you'll be much better off.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking

I'm not real big on anecdotes, but I'll always be interested in results...

https://www.forbes.com/pictures/fgek.../#3b8d155fca74

Employers want people that can hit the ground running. Kids, learn a specific trade and you'll be much better off.

But, but don't we all want children to go to college, acquire a huge debt and then find a job???

Humm, many plumbers make more than IT guys and gals. One I know just sold his business and retired with no money worries at all. HS graduate. Some Landscapers make over $90.00 an hour here in TN and in CA a friend was making over $25.00 an hour in the 70's just cutting lawns. In the 50's my step father's Gardner made more than he did and he was graduate of Berkley and was an engineer working for FORD.

[Independentthinking]

Originally Posted by expatCA

But, but don't we all want children to go to college, acquire a huge debt and then find a job???

Humm, many plumbers make more than IT guys and gals. One I know just sold his business and retired with no money worries at all. HS graduate. Some Landscapers make over $90.00 an hour here in TN and in CA a friend was making over $25.00 an hour in the 70's just cutting lawns. In the 50's my step father's Gardner made more than he did and he was graduate of Berkley and was an engineer working for FORD.

Yep. I remember when I was in college in the 80's and how a Liberal Arts degree was the number one degree you could get. People would sit there and brag about how that degree showed employers that you knew "how to think". Then we had our first recession, and suddenly that Liberal Arts degree wasn't all that popular. Employers were no longer interested in having to train people (nor did they have the budget for that). They wanted people that had a degree in their industry and preferably an internship. In addition, teaching a student something valuable (like Accounting) is one thing, teaching them "how to think" is entirely different. And the last thing I would want a student to be taught by academia is "how to think" (translation = brainwashing). I remember quite some time back reading an article from a professor who was deeply concerned about the product, colleges were putting out. His concern was that students were essentially coming out of college being completely closed minded and intellectually rigid to any opposing viewpoints that differed from their beliefs. He said they were much more interested in censoring opposing view points rather than using critical thinking skills and weighing the pros and cons of an issue. I wish I had held onto the article as it was something I would strongly recommend every parent read before sending their children to college.

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by TheMandarin

I can assure you that in 2017, the average person in IT with a BSc is making more than the average high school graduate plumber.


Next you're going to tell me that an electrician makes more than a neurosurgeon because you know this one guy that sold his electrical company in Tennessee.

I can assure you more people with a Bsc in IT is living with their parents or in a single bedroom unless they are old enough to remember hot rodders driving deuce coupes or tail finned cadillacs in dealerships. While in Tennessee the plumber owns an actually house.

[RosieSD]

Look folks: there are exceptions to every rule. Let's move on before this disintegrates into another shouting match.

So, how about we pull this discussion back to the original question -- saving in California.

Please do not reply if you do not currently reside in California.

According to the Prosperity Now study cited in the original post, many people who live in California do not save at all.

I'm curious:

How many Californians reading this do put at least a little money into some form of savings over the course of a year?

Include: personal savings, retirement accounts, college accounts for your kids, and any other form of savings accounts you may contribute to over the course of a year.

For right now, don't explain why you do or do not save. Let's just see what the savings rate is among the posters on this thread who currently live in California. And, then perhaps, we can delve further.

Obviously, this won't be a scientific poll, but it might be an interesting follow up discussion and bring us back to the topic of the thread.

Again, non-California residents, please hold back from replying for now. After all of the actual California residents reply, we'll give you a chance to chime in with your experiences living elsewhere.

[Finper]

How about we talk about the original topic? I personally think there are 2 types of people spenders and savers. Spenders will never have a savings acct when they get paid that moneys gone. I have a friend who has never even had a savings account and she's 51 years old. She's filed bankruptcy because she racked up 20k on her credit cards and has a lean on her house (which her dad bought her). She's a teacher of all things so has a decent income and union benefits but I hope she's not teaching economics to her students. Which by the way was her major in college.

[Perma Bear]

Originally Posted by Finper

How about we talk about the original topic? I personally think there are 2 types of people spenders and savers. Spenders will never have a savings acct when they get paid that moneys gone. I have a friend who has never even had a savings account and she's 51 years old. She's filed bankruptcy because she racked up 20k on her credit cards and has a lean on her house (which her dad bought her). She's a teacher of all things so has a decent income and union benefits but I hope she's not teaching economics to her students. Which by the way was her major in college.

Lien

[TheMandarin]

Originally Posted by Perma Bear

I can assure you more people with a Bsc in IT is living with their parents or in a single bedroom unless they are old enough to remember hot rodders driving deuce coupes or tail finned cadillacs in dealerships. While in Tennessee the plumber owns an actually house.

I guess you should go be a plumber in a Tennessee then, right?

[TheMandarin]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Look folks: there are exceptions to every rule. Let's move on before this disintegrates into another shouting match.

So, how about we pull this discussion back to the original question -- saving in California.

Please do not reply if you do not currently reside in California.

According to the Prosperity Now study cited in the original post, many people who live in California do not save at all.

I'm curious:

How many Californians reading this do put at least a little money into some form of savings over the course of a year?

Include: personal savings, retirement accounts, college accounts for your kids, and any other form of savings accounts you may contribute to over the course of a year.

For right now, don't explain why you do or do not save. Let's just see what the savings rate is among the posters on this thread who currently live in California. And, then perhaps, we can delve further.

Obviously, this won't be a scientific poll, but it might be an interesting follow up discussion and bring us back to the topic of the thread.

Again, non-California residents, please hold back from replying for now. After all of the actual California residents reply, we'll give you a chance to chime in with your experiences living elsewhere.

I save 18k in my 401k every year. My wife saves 18k in her 403b every year. As a percentage of gross salary that would be ~25%. We are both under 35 and live in SoCal.