An Inconvenient Truth? A Paradox? Or Maybe an Opportunity
We all want “The Formula.” The simple high-probability actions that ensure we live our best lives, even when statistics tell a difficult story.
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Preamble
There are storm clouds on the horizon…We can see them building in the distance. They’ve been there for a while now, just getting bigger. Looking more ominous.
Today, we’re going to talk about those “storm clouds.” My question for you is: when you see storm clouds forming, are you afraid of them, or are you thankful for the rain?
Introduction
I’ve often said that good, or bad, things seem to come in threes. When I see a series of occurrences like this, I typically stop and take notice. I recently discovered at least three documents that made me say to myself, “Hey, this is interesting and useful! I’ll bet others would like to hear it too!”
And in typical Afterburner Success Partners style, I’ve put it all together for you in one place that you can read in a short sitting. As you read the following post, think about what these statistics mean to you and how you can use that knowledge. Taken as a whole (or, to use a different term, in aggregate), you should be able to use this information to guide your future choices. For the benefit of you, your family, and those you care about.
Here is why I wrote today’s post. We’ve had a very good run in this country, in the stock market. Yeah, 2022 was rough. The first part of 2020 was, but if you stayed put, you not only recovered but did quite well. Especially if you owned a home then. We hit a little speed bump in 2018, but more than made up for it in 2019. Before that, you’d have to go all the way back to 2008 for a bad year in the market. And that was a bad one, down 37%. Statistically, we have a recession about every 5-6 years in modern times, and they typically last about 10-11 months. The last one was in 2020, and the one previous to that was in 2008.
And the point of all of this is when a recession comes- and it will- will you be ready for it? Read on and answer that question for yourself. At Afterburner Success Partners, we want you to be ready “in season and out of season.” Perhaps an economic downturn isn't storm clouds we should fear, but weather we are prepared for.
A summary of what’s happening now
Let me tease you…
Is there such a thing as a simple formula that, if we follow the instructions, will get us the results in life we desire? To achieve our dreams and to live our best lives? AND (my favorite word to use instead of BUT or HOWEVER), can increase our odds of getting what we want? How would we do that? First, let’s see what’s happening around us.
As you read these statistics, it’s OK to be a bit scared, perhaps a bit worried. Depending upon where you are in your life journey, you could be “nervous,” “a bit worried.” “A little scared, “Pacing the floors wondering what to do,” or “terrified.”
My pitch is that you don’t need to worry about any of that. Assuming you know what to do and are doing it. Oh, you want to know what that is? Right now? Sorry, you’ll just have to wait for a little bit. Here we go!
A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon an excellent article in my local paper (Note 1, 4). Here are some statistics of what’s going on around us. As you read these, what do you think? (Be a bit careful…There is a significant difference between median and average. Regardless, as you read these statistics, I think you will shake your head in agreement. See Note 4 for an explanation.
The median age of a first-time homebuyer in the U.S. is 40, according to the National Association of Realtors, a record high. First-time buyers make up just 21% of the market, compared with a historical norm of about 40% before 2008. Those buyers face an expensive housing market. The typical U.S. home was valued at $371,774 as of July 2026, according to Zillow’s Home Value Index, up 1% from a year earlier. Note from Dave: Compared to 2016, the median home price was $184,700, and the average age of the first-time home buyer was 32. 32 was about the same age as 20 years earlier, in 1996, but in 1991, the average age was 28. First-time homebuyers are getting older.
The median age at first marriage was 30.8 for men and 28.4 for women in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means Americans typically get married about seven years later than they did 50 years ago. Data also showed just 47% of U.S. households were married-couple households in 2025, down from 66% in 1975. People are waiting longer to get married, and more are living together without being married.
The average age of a first-time mother in the U.S. reached a record high of 27.6 in 2024. Note from Dave: 50 years earlier, the average age of first-time mothers was about 22. That age has been climbing ever since.
The average U.S. household has about 2.5 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest estimates. The figure was 2.53 people per household based on data collected from 2020 through 2024. At the same time, living alone is increasingly common. Almost 3 in 10 U.S. households consisted of just one person in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The country’s 39.7 million one-person households accounted for 29% of all households, up from 20% in 1975. Note from Dave: There is a lot of discussion out there about declining birth rates in the world. Especially in China.
The average vehicle on U.S. roads was 12.8 years old in 2025, a record high, according to S&P Global Mobility. That’s up from 12.6 years in 2024. Note from Dave: It was 11.6 years in 2016.
Feeding two people at home cost an average of $569.50 per month in May 2026. At that same per-person rate, that would work out to about $1,139 a month for a family of four, $1,709 for six people, and $2,278 for eight. Note from Dave: Yikes!
The average American consumer had a credit card balance of $6,659 as of March 2026, according to Experian. That’s up slightly from $6,618 a year earlier. Across the U.S., total credit card debt climbed 5.4% over the same period to nearly $1.25 trillion. Note from Daves: Double Yikes!
Total U.S. consumer debt reached $18.21 trillion in January 2026, up 2.9% from a year earlier. Mortgage debt, including home equity loans, accounted for 74% of the total. Among the remaining non-mortgage debt, auto loans and leases accounted for 35.7%, student loans for 27.8%, and credit card balances for 24.9%.
Full-time employed Americans worked an average of 8.1 hours on days they worked in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey. The average weekday workday stretched to 8.5 hours, while weekend workdays averaged 5.5 hours.
The average one-way commute to work in the U.S. was 27.2 minutes in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest American Community Survey estimates, up slightly from 26.8 minutes in 2023.
The average U.S. FICO credit score stood at 714 in 2026, according to FICO’s Spring 2026 Credit Insights report. The figure continued a recent downward trend after the national average peaked at 718 in 2023. FICO scores generally range from 300 to 850, and scores from 670 to 739 are considered “good.” Scores from 740 to 799 are considered “very good,” while 800 and above are considered “exceptional.”
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults reported getting less than seven hours of sleep in 24 hours, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report released in April 2026. The report, based on the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, also found about 1 in 6 adults had trouble falling asleep and about 1 in 5 had trouble staying asleep.
Americans age 15 and older spent an average of 5.2 hours a day on leisure and sports activities in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey, released in June 2026. Watching TV took up the largest share, averaging 2.6 hours a day — about half of all leisure time. By comparison, Americans spent an average of just 16 minutes a day reading for personal interest.
Workers expect to retire at a median age of 65, while current retirees reported retiring at a median age of 62, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey. Most retirees left the workforce before age 65, and almost half said they retired earlier than planned. (Note from Dave: Yikes! This could be trouble if one is not prepared for it!) Among Empower Personal Dashboard users in their 60s, the median 401(k) balance was $191,372 as of June 2026, according to Empower. Retirement savings also vary widely by state. Median household retirement savings were $111,000 in Illinois, $85,000 in Michigan, and $55,000 in Texas, according to SmartAsset’s 2026 study. (Note from Dave: These numbers are Double Yikes! That’s not a lot of money to take into retirement! That said, check out the next statistic. I’m a bit leery of it) About 64% of Americans said they were confident they would have enough money to live comfortably throughout retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey.
Life expectancy in the U.S. reached a record 79 years in 2024, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, released in January 2026. Note from Dave: Yay, some good news!)
Here is some information from the second source I mentioned in the beginning (Note 2, 4):
The average American says they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably. That’s up 15% from the $1.26 million they said in 2025. Note from Dave: Let me just say that’s a lot of jack! Read on and see how I can say that…
Then there is the third article I read that worries me most. I’m just going to focus on those folks closest to retirement, age 55-64, and those typically in retirement, age 65-74 (Note 3, 4):
Age 55-64, median savings, $185,000. Mean savings, $537,560
Age 65-74, median savings, $200,000. Mean savings, $609,230
Then there is this, from the same article. The average 401k balance by age group:
55-59: $244,900
60-64: $246,500
65-69: $251,400
So, I’ll let you tell me whether any or all of these statistics are OK, meh, good, or bad. I’ll just say I’m somewhat worried about our future when I read them.
One more late-breaking set of statistics I’d like to present to you for consideration (Note 6). Check out these:
In July 2026, almost 26% of consumers are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to pay their bills
Worse, 43% of low-income consumers (under 50K) are living paycheck to paycheck
Interestingly, about 18% of those consumers making over 150K report living paycheck to paycheck
Some good news
Of course, I like to share good news along with all of this Debbie Downer stuff we’ve been reading. A fourth article gives us some hope, and it’s surprisingly good and about how average folks, with average jobs, can become millionaires. See Note 5 for the source. See if you can locate the article online because it’s worth reading. The gist is that you don’t need to be a high earner to get to a million bucks; you just need to be smart, determined and disciplined over a long period of time. Here are a few of their stories:
The first gal started out making $8.00 an hour and lived paycheck to paycheck
The second gal started working for Apple at age 22 in the 1980’s and opened a 401K at age 22 and started saving 15% of her income. She even took off eight years to raise her children! Folks, this is how to do it!
The third guy, an engineer, started out making $34K in 1984. He eventually moved into a sales engineer position
The fourth example, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, stared working for $20K at age 24 and never made six figures. She started her 401 (k) a year later, saving 8%, and raised it to 10%
Our final example is a high school counselor who started at age 26 and contributed to the schools 403b. She previously started her individual IRA at age 22, maxing them both out. 20 years later, on a public school salary, she was a millionaire.
Yeah, that’s some pretty good news to end on…All of these folks are millionaires today. and they are just average people.
Summary
So how can we increase our odds of surviving the storm? Of seeing the storm clouds on the horizon as a sign of much-needed rain. Not being afraid of the storm?
It’s pretty simple, and we’ve talked about it often at Afterburner Success Partners. When we learn and then take the steps that have yielded the results we want from those who came before us. Doing this, my friends, is as close to a guarantee as you are going to get. AND, not surprisingly, I’m happy to tell you about it!
Here is “The Formula,” just about as simple as I can make it:
Implement, from an early age, the principles espoused by the Afterburner Success Partners course, book, and the 106 blog posts. Follow “The Order of Operation” for your life. If you missed the boat when you were young, you're a bit older now and didn't know this information when you were young, or didn't do it, start today. As we say, “We take you where you are.” You will still be ahead of most people, and things can still turn out well for you. But you must take action and start!
I don’t give financial advice. I know what worked for me, but I will tell you, it’s hard to go wrong by following the advice of just one individual. Warren Buffett is perhaps the most successful and influential investor of all time. In his 2013 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter, he left simple instructions for how the money left for his wife should be reinvested after his death. The trustee should invest 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. Invest 10% in short-term US government bonds. Very little trading, very low fees.
Check it out yourself. Click on the link in Note 7 for a compound interest calculator. It's the same one I've used for many years; run the following scenario: You are 22 years old and have $100 to invest. You invest $100 a month ($1,200 per year) for the next 40 years. The rate of return is 10%, the S&P 500 index average return over the past 100 years. How much will you have if you want to retire at age 62? How about age 65? Play around with that for a bit, change the numbers up and see if you perhaps want to do something different than you are now.
Read the articles I reference in the notes, below. Depending upon where you are in your life journey, it may or may not be difficult to get to where you want, but I don’t think I need to tell you that…”A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step…”
Bottom Line: You will not go wrong by following “The Formula” I just laid out for you. Because whether it's an inconvenient statistical truth, a paradox, or an opportunity, I choose to see those storm clouds on the horizon not as something to be afraid of, but as much-needed rain. Maybe with a few opportunities built in.
That’s all for today!
Let’s help our friends and loved ones, shall we?
If you find the information in this post useful or enjoyable, please forward it to those you care about.
Then, simply say, “Search the internet for Afterburner Success Partners
to learn how to achieve your dreams and live your best life!”
Are You Ready For the Storm?
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for Me
The best thing you can do to live your best life is to be in control of it. That means having a realistic plan and executing it. I hope you have not experienced, and do not experience, any of the conditions I described above. In some cases, it may take professional help, but if you desire to overcome any adverse effects of these issues, you are on the road to bettering yourself.
Call to Action
What do you need to do today?
Recommended Resources
Click the links in the notes below and read them. Buy and read Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi (Note 4). Take the course, it’s a very inexpensive investment in yourself.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
Snapshot of a Nation, Tulsa World, September 5, 2026. Reprinted from the Plainview Daily Herald, Texas, September 5, 2026
The Magic Number Americans Say They Need To Retire Comfortably is $1.46 million-How to Catch Up If You’re Behind: Investopia April 7, 2026
The Average Retirement Savings by Age: Kiplinger Magazine, April 21, 2026
The mean is what most people think of when they think of arithmetic average. The median is the middle number of a set of numbers arranged from lowest to highest
Here’s How 6 Americans Became 401k Millionaires, USA Today, September 4, 2026
Paycheck to Paycheck Trends, pymts.com, July 2026: https://www.pymnts.com/paycheck-to-paycheck?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Money Chimp Compound Interest Calculator:http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ