The young and the broke – 37 percent of young households held zero or a negative net worth in 2009. The median net worth of those 35 and younger is $3,600.

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It is hard to imagine a future generation of Americans were those moving forward are actually poorer than the current generation. Yet that is precisely the world we are diving into. Those that purchased homes in the pre-bubble days and also attended college in less inflated times have a massive head start on the current younger generation that is contending with a bursting housing bubble and a financial system that might as well be a roulette wheel. One startling figure from a recent Pew Research report shows that 37 percent of young households hold zero or a negative net worth. This is not a good way to build a healthy financial future. The wealth gap between previous generations is also becoming increasingly large. This narrative ties into the overall systemic pilfering of the middle class.

How large is the net worth gap?

The gap between younger and older Americans has never been so large:



Source: CNN, Pew Research

“(CNN Money) In 1984, households headed by people age 65 and older were worth just 10 times the median net worth of households headed by people 35 and younger.

But now that gap has widened to 47-to-one, marking the largest wealth gap ever recorded between the two age groups.â€