Economic Security

Economic Security: How Should We Take Charge of Our Future?

As the nation slowly recovers from its worst recession in decades, it is a good time to ask how we can best take charge of the future, so families can feel reasonably secure, parents can help their children prosper, and everyone can move toward a financially stable retirement.

This issue guide presents three options to consider:

Act More Responsibly with Our Money

Option One says that by making better choices about how we spend our money, we can make better use of what we have, and set aside more for future needs, such as college tuition for our children and retirement for ourselves. For many, this will involve hard choices. For others it will mean learning and practicing new skills.

Look Out for Each Other

Option Two argues that the most reliable place to find strength and economic security is with each other. For families, that may mean combining households and cutting costs; for communities, it means pulling together to help everyone make a decent living, or at least have the basic necessities.

Grow Our Way Out

We need to tap into our considerable capabilities, do whatever we can to expand on them, accept the risks that success requires, and grow our way out of this slump, advocates of Option Three say. We won't achieve economic security by waiting for someone else to solve the problem.