re: Is one major cause of wealth disparity a poor rate of return on social security?

I guess it depends on your age. I graduated college in 97, somehow found a way to sock away $10k a year off of a $40k salary and NY taxes. I feel sorry for today's college graduate. I probably graduated at the right time though.

I compare this with my parents who graduated in in the early '60's and they found a way to save a lot of dough, as did my siblings that graduated in the late '80's.

Lucky if they can find a job, and even if they can, don't see how it's possible to save jack shite.

I feel like discretionary income + Savings as a % of total income is less now certainly than it was at the end of the 80's but that's my frame of reference.