Most Americans Say Their Finances Have Not Improved Since 2016

[louis c]

Source: Market Watch

As the midterm elections approach, a new survey says a majority of Americans do not feel their financial situation has improved since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016.

Only 38% of Americans say their finances have improved since the 2016 election, according to a study released Thursday by finance website Bankrate, while 17% say they have gotten worse, and 45% say they are about the same. This comes as the economy remains the key issue in the Nov. 6 midterm elections.


Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-americans-say-their-finances-have-not-improved-since-the-2016-election-2018-10-25

[ck4829]

1. But the Dow has broken a new record and billionaires are even richer though!!!

Why can't most Americans just be happy for the Dow and for billionaires, huh?

[louis c]

2. Actually, Obama had a better % increase in the Dow in his first two years

and the Dow is in minus territory for 2108

[ck4829]

5. Actually, we should stop caring about the fricking dow!

The Dow at 5000 or 25000 doesn't pay my bills.

[Bengus81]

7. Pay into a 401k or an IRA for decades and you WILL care about the DOW

And what some lunatic is doing to peoples retirements with his pissing match tariff games and other BS. These huge DOW jumps under Trump are just smoke and mirror BS which has finally come home to roost.

[ck4829]

8. OK, I live paycheck to paycheck

Maybe I will when I no longer have to worry about money as much. Maybe.

I make no apologies for the fact that my prime barometer for the economy is whether I can pay bills vs how the Dow Jones is up or down this week.

Maybe people running for congress, other activists should speak to us for a while is all I'm saying.

[louis c]

27. There's more people who live in this world than just you

I represent a lot of people who have annuities and pensions and that stock investment is their future.

It was cut in half under Bush and tripled under Obama. As of today, the Dow is in the red for 2108. No return on investment.

It is important and historically, it always has been better under Democrats.

[llmart]

28. Oh really?

I'm a retired senior citizen who worked for over 50 years. Now I have to live on my IRA, so you better believe that I care about the Dow. So do a lot of senior citizens.

[watoos]

3. Wait until Trumpers find out

that their tax returns are going to be a lot less than they had been getting.

[Wuddles440]

16. Sad to say that....

a significant number of people still believe the propaganda regarding the yuuuge tax "cut". I've tried to explain to several individuals (all avid Faux News viewers) that any benefit that they may have received from the near doubling of the Standard Deduction will be offset by the elimination of the Personal Exemption and cap on the SALT Deduction. However, they all insisted that my explanation was either nothing more than partisan "sour grapes" or not factly accurate. Once again, sheep being led to slaughter by the con men that they worship. They're beyond hope.

[watoos]

19. You bet,

Yeah the standard deduction is doubled but the exemptions are eliminated. That means if you are married and have 2 kids you no longer get to deduct $4,050 X 4 exemptions, or $16,200.
Plus, I am retired and get Social Security and other income that I can deduct taxes from to get the return I want.

From what I understand, there were no W-4s this year, the employer simply deducted less money from people's paychecks which yeah gave them more money, but what is going to happen come tax time? I have a feeling a lot of people are going to get back less money than they used to.

[RussBLib]

31. the delayed nature of the reality is a problem

many of these yahoos think they are thousands of dollars richer because they lie like Trump.

A lot of the reality won't hit until people do their 2018 taxes, and that gives plenty of time to demagogue.

[ooky]

32. or pay, because they didn't have enough withheld.

[CountAllVotes]

4. Nothing has improved in this fixed-income household

In fact, just last night (after figuring out how the cable TV provider is trying to rip this household off), the decision has been made to get rid of it very soon.

I need to figure out how a digital antenna works and I also need some rabbit ears I was told to pick-up something on the two television set I have. One is abt. 20 years old (belonged to my late mother) and the other is a newer sort of thing that comes in very poorly.

Any helps/tips, etc. greatly appreciated btw!!

They want to charge us $20 extra for two black boxes to make one of them come in better and god only know how much more after the new "service" is installed.

A giant f'/u to that!

Oh well, just a sign of the times for the have-nots!

[Merlot]

11. Wifi and netflix. or hulu.

That covers my entertainment, and for news I watch shows online.

I have a apple tv box, a roku box also works.

$40 for everything per month.

[CountAllVotes]

12. I don't know what sort of antenna(s) to get

One for an HD TV and a different one for the old TV?

Do I really need two of them?

I'm a total when it comes to this sort of thing but at least I caught the cable TV place before they ripped me off!

I cannot get up on the roof, that is for certain.

[Merlot]

13. I don't have an antenna so can't help you there.

I stream tv, even shows on cbs and nbc are streamable if you create an account. So why you need an antenna is a mystery to me.

[CountAllVotes]

14. How to you stream tv?

Do I even need a tv?

[Merlot]

15. Well, you can stream tv programs to your laptop

But watching them on an actual tv is nicer and easier on your eyes.

Go to a store that sells tv's and ask them how. Some tv's come with internal streaming burt you don't need a new tv - mine is over 5 years old. If you have a really old, non flatscreen tv not sure how that would work.

And, BTW, there are a lot of different configurations on how to do it. It can seem complicted when thy're trying to sell you something but it's really simple once you get it figured out.

Good luck and good-bye to cable.

[CountAllVotes]

17. Thanks

I was told to get rabbit ears for the old one and a digital antenna for the other one (it is abt. 5 yrs. old).

Thanks again!

[SKKY]

22. You need a Digital antenna, since the signal the older antennas used is no longer broadcast....

...Walmrat. 20 bucks. You're only going to get local stations, just remember that.

[CountAllVotes]

24. That is fine w/me

I really don't care much about it.

Would this work?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/HDTV-Antenna-Amplifier-digital-TV-indoor-50-miles-range-Detachable-Signal-Amplifier-Booster-1080P-High-Reception-Aluminum-foil-antenna-Updated-Versio/294341636

Would I need one or two of them do you know?

Thank you.

[SKKY]

25. That would, and you'll only need one.

One for each Television in your home, obviously. Once you connect it up and mount the antenna in an optimal place, you just scan for the channels in the TVs menu. Depending on where you live, you could realistically get 25-35 channels.

[CountAllVotes]

30. Thank you!

I'll wait until they cut me off and then I'll give it a try.

I live at abt. 150 ft. above sea level. No trees much where I am located but there is an airport fairly close by.

Thanks again.

[ooky]

33. You don't need to go on your roof.

I bought an HD antenna at Best Buy that I connected directly to the back of one of my HD TV's. It gets a beautiful HD signal on CBS and NBC. Our ABC station is too far away, or it would pick that up too. Those are totally free. The antenna cost me about $50.

Alternatively, some services offer ABC/CBS/NBC programming through streaming. It connects through your internet router to a streaming device that you purchase and connect to your HDTV. If you have a smart TV then you can eliminate the streaming device.

Most common streaming devices are Roku, Firestick, or Apple TV. Through the streaming device or Smart TV you can purchase apps that provide the programming you want.

[SKKY]

23. If you can get an Amazon Fire Stick,

You can get ALL the TV. The older antenna no longer works because the signal those used is no longer broadcast. You'll need to get a digital antenna (Walmart, 20 bucks). You're only going to get local broadcast stations. If you want the programming traditional cable provides, it isn't a problem as long as you have decent internet. Say, 50 megs or better.

[Jedi Guy]

26. Get an Android box!

It runs through your internet connection and you can find damn near anything on there, without a subscription.

That said, it is sometimes hard to find a source for some things. We use a premium service called Real Debrid. $15 for 3 months and you get premium sources.

The only downside is that it requires a certain amount of knowledge to set up, but there are tons of how-to guides online.

[llmart]

29. I haven't had cable for about 8 years.

I bought an antenna and that brings in the regular channels and four PBS channels, plus a few other odd ones. The weather can be a factor sometimes in how the channels come in. How well your antenna works is also due to your proximity to the stations.

I have a Roku box and buy a subscription to Netflix which is $7.99 a month. I also get the latest movies from my local library - for free of course.

That's about all the TV I need. Once you get rid of cable you will get used to it.

[CountAllVotes]

36. I had no tv at all for years

The tv died and I had no $ for a new one so I did not have one at all.

After abt. 2 weeks I did not even notice it was missing!

My hope is to just be able to pick-up one or two stations on the two tv's I have, one real old one (1990 or so) and the other is a monitor/tv combo made by Samsung. Picture is terrible due to signal that has been paid for!

I'll be glad to be rid of it believe me.

Thanks for the help!

[NickB79]

34. Sling, Roku, and Netflix are our go-to's

Sling started around $25/mo (we do the upgraded $35/mo package), and if you prepay the first two months they send you a free Roku box to boot, which gives you a ton of content for free.

[wcast]

6. This post highlights what most politicians and media miss.

The large majority of people have seen no benefit from the strong economy. From the source, 62% are the same or worse. Also shows how much the economic insecurity theory of why people voted for Trump was nonsense. These same people will still vote for Republicans no matter that their personal situation is the same or worse than under President Obama.

[ck4829]

9. Boom!

[MissMillie]

10. Everybody likes to hear that their taxes are being cut

What they don't realize is that billionaires and millionaires get the benefit. Most people might get $10/week, if they're lucky.

[Tobin S.]

21. Yep that's about what I got.

In return for that, the GOP hobbled Obamacare and now want to go after Medicare and Social Security. What a shitty deal.

[watoos]

20. In reality most people won't know,

if they are the same or better off until tax time comes. If someone thinks they are better off because they are getting $1,000 more a year, but when tax time comes they owe $2,000 more than last year, ruh roh.

[Maxheader]

18. For me? Financial improvements?

I'm down 15k in the last week...and expecting to lose more..

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. If you measure your wealth daily or weekly, you will drive yourself crazy.

If you have enough that you lost 15k last week, then you're way ahead of most people. Count the blessings! And, don't panic!

[Maxheader]

37. No, I don't dwell on it..

But it does make me mad that the tariffs are driving a lot of
peoples losses, savings etc..And that the yellow haired monkey
is a big influence on that....Thanks for the advice though..Cheers!

[crazycatlady]

38. I will admit mine have as a direct result of Trump

But since his election, I've started a shop that sells an item associated with anti-Trump protests. Thanks Trump.