Let’s face it, pursuit of the Great American Dream is no longer as attainable as it was when the idea first floated around during the Post World War II era. Actually, it was a great motivation for most Americana, until they started spending beyond their personal capital or household budget. Unfortunately, people did not foresee a future where they will face all sorts of financial and emergency crises. Tracing back the events of US financial history will remind everyone about the importance of monitoring one’s personal resources and expenditures.

The Credit Card Era and Its Impact on the Financial Condition of American Consumers

Monitoring and budgeting of one’s financial resources became a widely disregarded practice in the US when Americans started using credit cards indiscriminately. The false sense of buying power had encouraged the Baby Boomers and the Generation Xers to consume on a whim; without giving thought to the pile of debts they have been accumulating.

However, when the Age of Computerization came to the fore in the early years of 2000, government authorities, regulators and investors were able to see every financial detail and conditions in real time. As a result, a number of major corporate scandals, involving the automotive industry, real estate, communications companies, banks, lending institutions and many others, had caused the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008.

The economic activities were mostly funded by predatory lending practices that had put many American consumers at a disadvantage. Moreover, manufacturers began building factories in countries where the cost of labor was cheaper. The trend left many Americans jobless after the factories in some areas were closed.

The years thereafter saw massive employment layoffs that came at a time when most Americans had tons of credit card debts to settle. Those were in addition to the housing and car loans they took out, even if they knew they could not afford to pay.

Lessons Learned from Past Financial Crisis Proved Useful during the Global COVID-19 Crisis

Millennials took heed of the advice being given by financial experts so they can avoid falling into the same debt trap that made life difficult for the previous generations. Moreover, this generation of adult consumers find mobile applications useful in putting their lifestyle and affairs in order.

As an alternative to professional assistance, many simply install a mobile app that monitors their spending limit so they won’t ever lose sleep over financial issues.
Apparently, many American consumers were able to stay resilient even if their employers had to close shop during the health crisis.

In fact, as most consumers were able to maintain financial capability during the quarantine periods, ecommerce and the online platforms for all types of consumer products and services were given a chance to flourish and hold the American economy together.

In fact, many of the workers forced to go on furlough refused to return to work if under the same terms and conditions. The movement had unintentionally spurred the period of Great Resignation. It indicated that unlike in the past, majority of the new generations of Americans today are more financially confident and capable than their predecessors.