For Millennials, Out-of-Wedlock Childbirth Is the Norm (wages, generations, myth)

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by cb at sea

Used to be that the only way a child could be supported, was if the father worked, and the mom took care of home and child...not the case, so much, anymore. Now, moms work, or are supported by welfare (meaning all of the working folk are paying her way...)so there's really little incentive for folks to take responsibility for themselves.

This is where our government is letting Americans down...they should be fostering MORE personal responsibility...not less. And, Americans should take PRIDE in supporting themselves.

Employers play a huge, and ugly role in that struggle as well -- thanks in no small part to our gutted, de-industrialized economy. "Promotions" (with an increase in workload, risk and stress, and a not-very-tangible measure of individual productivity) usually go to the parent of a young family where expenses are also growing rapidly, and on a straight salary with not much chance of developing other sources of income; "individuality" and "autonomy" are dirty words in "Korporate Amerika".

[IndyDancer]

Originally Posted by cwa1984

As far as finances go you get tax breaks for being married and you have combined income and you will be living together that more then makes up for the $5,000 just in not paying rent for living in two different places (assuming you two don't live together).

This is not true in all cases, and it appears that irishgirl49 has already done the math for their situation. If the two incomes are of a similar magnitude, the tax liability can be higher under MFJ than if both file single. The "marriage penalty", as it used to be called. OTOH, if one person makes significantly more than the other, then yes, getting married may lower the tax bill.

[censusdata]

There are situations where out of wedlock doesn't mean both lack of a stable environment or both parents involved but I think all of us with Facebook have seen many people giving birth out of wedlock in bad circumstances. I never knew someone could be a "stay at home mom" and not have a boyfriend or husband lol.

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by IndyDancer

This is not true in all cases, and it appears that irishgirl49 has already done the math for their situation. If the two incomes are of a similar magnitude, the tax liability can be higher under MFJ than if both file single. The "marriage penalty", as it used to be called. OTOH, if one person makes significantly more than the other, then yes, getting married may lower the tax bill.

A big deal for married Millennials is the student loan interest tax credit does not double when you get married, it remains at $2500 per year. I max it out by myself, so my wife and I pay more taxes combined than when we filed separately despite the marriage credit. I went from getting $1500 back to us combined owning slightly or getting $200 back.

[newtovenice]

Because people want a wedding.

They don't want to be MARRIED. Younger people never discuss ... I want my marriage to be ...

You always hear, we want to have a big wedding, we need to be more financially secure (translation: want a big wedding), I want to wear a slim dress (wedding) ... I want to DRINK at my wedding. I want this song, these napkins, give these favors, have a bachelorette party/bridal shower/baby shower ... I want to HONEYMOON ... buy buy buy spend spend spend look at me look at me look at me...

All of those reasons apply to a WEDDING. None apply to being married. It's a narcissistic, self serving framework in which the party takes precedence over the lifelong commitment that marriage is supposed to be. Severe lack of priority.

[Pub-911]

There would be many fewer out-of-wedlock births if the old yahoo tradition of the shotgun wedding hadn't fallen so far out of favor.

[Pub-911]

Originally Posted by newtovenice

All of those reasons apply to a WEDDING. None apply to being married. It's a narcissistic, self serving framework in which the party takes precedence over the lifelong commitment that marriage is supposed to be. Severe lack of priority.

I talked it over with God. He told me He didn't really care much one way or the other, and that people should just work these things out for themselves.

[GeoffD]

A lot of this is caused by our bizarre health care system. Do the math on health care married vs unmarried.

Unmarried:
The minute you get pregnant, you qualify for Medicaid. Your kid then qualifies for CHIP kid Medicaid and the mother remains on Medicaid. On top of that, there might be SNAP/food stamp benefits. There might be Section 8 housing benefits since single mothers bump to the top of the list. For kid #1, there may also be TANF cash welfare benefits though those don't go up if she pops out kid #2.

Married:
If the guy works, they typically don't get anything. They're paying through the nose for health exchange Obamacare where their high premiums subsidize unhealthy old people. They might get subsidies or they might not. After Paul Ryan is done in a month or two, they certainly won't be seeing subsidies.

Only about 1/3 of the country goes to college. The other 2/3 is largely pretty low income and as 20-somethings, it's a pretty lean existence. The system encourages people in those circumstances to not get married. The incentives are exactly backwards from what you'd want.

[jetgraphics]

In the "bad old days" before socialism, a woman had better have her MRS degree if she wanted to get support from the baby daddy.
Now?
Why bother with the hassle and expense of a life long marriage to some guy, when you can clean him out and put him into bondage for 18+ years of child support...
(You do know that non-custodial child support is authorized by voluntary participation in FICA - right?)

[sas318]

If they break up, at least they don't have to deal with all the paperwork of filing for divorce.