Sunday, November 01, 2009

Dependent adults - victims or spoiled brats?

Read this article.

And here is my view. They are the results of the failed capitalism and false prosperity (build on asset bubbles) of the past two decades.

Asset prices went up too high. The current generation is affluent. But the next generation cannot afford these prices. And their earnings will be low - due to globalisation, international competition and other reasons. So, they have to depend on the generosity of their parents.

They are not spoiled brats. They are placed in an unfair world. This is largely the fault of the previous generation.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Things as it is cannot be change in a short time. To protect your next generation against poor money management, parents need to impart sound money value or financial education to them. Being in a sandwich generation, I felt it is good to expose your kids to your family's financial situation so that they can understand that money doesn't come from ATM free of charge. There is a need of this generation to save to support the last generation's medical bills and the next generation 's education. Bigger house, bigger car, yearly oversea trips, resturants' meals expectation has to be manage. One way is to educate your kid about Needs and Wants. It is easy to buy everything the kids want without question but until the day they realize you cannot afford it anymore, it is going to be tough for you to start teaching them about the value of money and the importance of not overspending.

Just my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Agreed. Parents need to take action and do somethings to help their children.
Don't be fooled...... .

Robert Tan said...

Asset bubbles seem to recur every decade or so throughout at least the last 100 years, if not longer. History repeats itself. (And that is why it can be useful to study and learn from history). Things change and yet they remain the same. Forms change but the substance remain the same. I guess the main reason is that at the crux of it, it's human nature. And human nature as a whole, had not changed over the centuries. I may be cynical, for it seems to me that history has repeated itself many times and will continue to repeat itself.

wjsim said...

I agree with you about the fault lying with the previous generations. However, not for the same reason.

The previous generations have embraced many socialist reforms, such as agricultural subsidies, Home Ownership scheme, Deposit Insurance, Medicare. Irresponsible monetary policy by the Fed worsened the problem. Their grandchildren will have it worse when the effects of the debts created by the bailouts, Cash for Clunkers and various other reforms introduced to redistribute wealth and "ease the pain" of the recession comes back to haunt them.

Asset bubbles are the symptoms. Not the cause. We may be looking at the same symptoms here.

Anonymous said...

Correction - this is largely the fault of previous generation of PAP govt who "leave it to the market".

Anonymous said...

It all voice down to GREED.

The one in authority is greedy, asking for market based price for new and resale HDB flats.

The one who sells is greedy becos no authority steps in to control the skyhigh selling price.

These are the consequences of "leaving it to the market" which our future generations will feel the pain of paying.

Hopefully they can migrate to somewhere "cheaper, better and faster".

Those who can't migrate have no choice but to be "cheaper, better and faster" in order to compete with large influx of "FTs".

The CHOICE is yours. Opt for a CHANGE now or migrate/suffer later.

Anonymous said...

This is good news, indeed.

All these fresh, young and promising youths need good insurance guidences from financial advisors who can help them plan for their financial future.

If they don't have good insurance plans to help give them the solid and long term financial protection, who can they turn to? Most of them are quite receptive to savings and protection going hand in hand together.

It's an exciting new world!

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Tan
May I draw your attention to today's Straits Times article:
3 Nov 2009 on page A2.

Article on care-givers for the elderly.

Point being that dependent children is part of a potential bigger issue.

What shocked me was column 3 which stated that a one-stop organization vested with this duty has been changed 3 times over the last 7 years. The latest being CEL (Centre for Enabled Living).

I guess there is no money to be made in this field. So it becomes an orphan child amongst our country's many "strategic thrusts and initiatives".

We set up a $2 billion dollar R&D fund to kick-start Singapore's foray into Science and R&D.

Until we see a similarly sized fund for the care of the elderly, I don't think I'll take this new Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) too seriously.

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