Reference no: EM132717217

Old vs. young gap sets a record: Seniors' worth is 47 times greater According to an analysis of the 2009 U.S. Census data by the Pew Research Center, "households headed by those 65 or older had a median net worth 47 times greater than those headed by a person younger than 35. One conclusion is that 'baby boomers' have done somewhat better than younger Americans in handling recent economic downturns. Other observations include: - those 65 and older having a median net worth* of 170,494 compared with 3,662 of those in the younger generation. (net worth includes the value of a person's home, possessions and savings, minus any debt such as mortgages, college loans, and credit card bills.) - 37% of younger-age households have a new worth of zero or less, while the percentage for households headed by a person 65 or older was 8%. - the housing crisis hit hard for younger people who had not built much equity in their homes. While the gap increased significantly with the housing market collapse of 2006, it started widening decades earlier, suggesting it's more than just the sour economy at play. - the older group has had an advantage of inflation-indexed Social Security and a long-term build-up in home values; over the long-term they have seen their home equity rise and don't have a mortgage to pay.

Question- What are two recommendations for helping remedy the financial disparity between young and old? Are there potential trends in the future that might lessen or worsen that disparity.