Archives of Monthly News Updates
for a Time of Transition
State of the Middle Class
September, 2008
- November, 2009
November, 2009
* More Members of Middle Class File for Bankruptcy USA Today 11/19
April, 2009
Financial crisis triggers social crisis of historic
dimensions
Crisis Plunges Middle Class into Poverty Alert Spiegel
International Online 4/23/09
* 51% of
those whose sleep is frequently disturbed by economic concerns report being
too sleepy to engage in routine activities.
Down Economy Keeps Americans Up at
Night ABC 209 Sleep American Poll. Research Alert 4/17/09
*New ABC Poll shows 61% of American are under economic stress; on third call the stress serious; 24% putting off doctor visits. ABC World News, 4/1/09
February 2009
*
Middle-class family requests for food stamps and public assistance rise,
but they often don't quailify
Some Jobless Aren't Down and Out Enough to Qualify for Aid
Los Angeles Times 3/26
*Evidence accumulates that anxiety,
depression and stress over work and the economy contribute to increased
incidence of heart disease.
Economy, Work, Can Be Hard on the Heart
Los Angeles Times 3/23
* Middle class psyche real from financial shock
Recession Shakes Middle Class Confidence Kennebec Journal SA 3/17
*Food Bank sees the number of middle-class families having difficulty
affording food triples, even among those with advanced degrees and those who
still have jobs
The Year When the Middle-Class Began Queuing Up in Soup Kitchens
Independent ie 3/14
* Anxiety over money grows
Sour US Economy Has Put 40% of Americans on Edge
USA Today 3/13
* "Maybe we were dreaming the American Dream."
In
One Year, 24 Million Slide from Thriving to Struggling
USA Today 3/10
From Gallop Poll
*Nearly half of Americans see a
bleaker future for today's children
53% Say It's Likely the US Will Enter a Depression Similar to the 1930"s.
Rasmussen Report 3/10
January 2009
* Vice President Joe Biden is to form a White
House Task Force on raising the standard of living for the middle class, but
just what is the middle class?
Defining the Middle Class
Business Week
* The
gap between the have's and have not's is widening
The Changing Face of the Middle Class Economy USA Today
2/23
To stay up-to-the-minute on what Washington policy makers are doing for and to the middle class, check out
www.themiddleclass.org
Credit Card Crunch
February, 2009
Some offer customers cash
to close their accounts
Credit Card Firms Shed Debtors,
USA Today 3/6
Banks close a record number
of credit card accounts
Consumers Hit by Sliding Credit Scores,
USA Today
3/5 This can be a positive move if it prevents people from
going deeper in debt, but it also removes a safety net for jobless families
and even some with spotless credit are seeing their credit lines reduces.
January, 2009
* Too few creditworthy customers
wishing to borrow now
A Small
Bank Juggles Its Roles
Wall Street Journal 1/14
* Lenders actions could bring more
worries to consumers
Credit Card Companies Slash Limits
Wall Street Journal 1/2
December 2008
*Highly likely your credit card limit will be
cut, if it's not already
Say Goodbye to Credit? Market Watch
12/7
*Anonymous banker tells it like he sees the
credit card debacle
The Worst Is Yet to Come New York Times
12/1
*Lines of consumer credit may
decline by 45%; rates and fees rise
Credit Cards
May Pull Back $2 Trillion in Lending CNBC, 12/1
November, 2008
* Investment strategies
threaten another type of financial crisis
Why Banks Are Squeezing Credit-Card Holders
USA Today, 11/10
* Banks want to forgive 40% of some
customers' credit card debt
Forgiving
credit card debt for some would benefit all
Los Angeles Time 11/5