American Dream Deferred: We Now Embrace More Modest, Personal Goals

As conceptual ideals go, the American Dream is pretty iconic. And for a long time, it was pretty easy to define: People worked to earn a college degree, get a good job, buy a house and have a spouse and kids. But then the Great Recession came along and upended everything. Now, our goals are more modest — like having a financial safety net — but are still out of reach for many Americans, especially those approaching retirement age. Nearly half — 44% — of Americans say they’re working harder than their parents did at their age.

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