Author Description

The Pursuit of Balanced Income: An Economic Perspective on Wealth An experienced wealth strategist shares his thoughts and strategies to help households with moderate incomes think about acquiring wealth for whatever reason: early retirement, involuntary retirement readiness, a sense of security, or a legacy to last beyond their generation. An important component of his analysis is the intertemporal household budget regarding income, consumption, and saving and how these factors are instrumental in acquiring Balanced Income. Just as businesses have life cycles, so do households, with age and life events affecting consumption in the present and in retirement. Balanced Income-the minimal savings required (for wealth) at retirement-varies depending on consumption level. The relationship between employees and employers has changed in the last few generations, with workers no longer expected to work forty years for the same company, and employers reducing their backing of pensions and retiree health insurance. As workers have brought weaker loyalty to their employers, businesses have gradually transferred the responsibility of saving for retirement onto employees, moving to company-matched savings plans and shared-cost retirement benefits instead of guaranteed pensions. This shift in the employee employer relationship has profound implications on potential wealth. Incorporating research on conventional measures of wealth with historical and empirical household data to refine and extrapolate wealth and wealth proximity metrics, the author clearly shows that consumption, more than even income and savings levels, affects the ability to accumulate wealth. But just as clear, he writes, is that even those with modest means who have determination and can recognize their patterns of consumption and saving will be in a position to pursue financial security into retirement and beyond. Cal Pierce, who has an MBA and a master's degree in Economics, is a wealth strategist at JAR