Introducing “Emotional Investing,” a new column about money by Joel Anderson.

But the questions were also more abstract. How can this happen? At the time, there were bigger, more high-profile questions about Thomas’ relationship with money. When reports came out about the tyranny of Harlan Crowe and other Republican benefactors, I wondered why Thomas would risk his credibility and moral standing to buy a lavish trip for his grandnephew. I wondered if he was trying to gamble away the private school tuition fees. Such luxuries even though he comes from a group of people who don’t seem to value themselves.

I’ve worked as a journalist in nearly every corner of this country for the past 20 years (the Bay Area, Florida, New York, and far-flung points in between), and nearly every story has a story about how money and class play a role. I’ve been watching to see if it’s coming. They shape lives by determining who has power and who suffers, but they also shape how people see themselves, how they feel in relation to others, and how they It also shapes the decisions that people make.

I have stayed in the homes of countless people who are barely surviving. People like the Jamaican immigrant who served me ackee and saltfish in his family’s overstuffed room at an extended-stay motel outside of Atlanta, whose stories I don’t know because of his I couldn’t use it. He actually worked at my newspaper and delivered newspapers. What a contrast to the experience of a 75-year-old Shreveport woman.^th The birthday I covered: She celebrated with a fireworks show and a two-day extravaganza that included circus animals and acrobatics, ending at one of the best and most expensive restaurants in town. I reported in Ferguson, Missouri, that the St. Louis suburbs once held promise for black residents seeking to escape the poverty of the city center, but racist policing and declining prosperity have pushed them into similar situations. I learned that. In Hernando County, Florida, I met young families and retirees who left the Midwest and Northeast for sunnier, more affordable lives, only to have their dreams shattered by the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. .

I have advocated for student-athletes’ right to earn money, but I am determined to eliminate pro football completely because I know it is one of the few paths out of poverty for many Black families. hesitated. I interview people in restaurants and push away the nagging feeling that while part of the appeal of talking to me is telling their story, another important part is the much-needed free meal. .

The most important thing about money is how much you spend it. have.

This year, I want to explore this part of our lives more deeply as I write about the economic and financial realities of so many people living in this country. That’s why we publish regular columns on these and other issues, chronicling Americans’ economic lives in detail. But I think what’s more important is having real intimacy. And if you, our readers, are contributing to this project by telling me about your financial challenges and successes, suggesting notable people and stories, or generally contributing to the conversation, I would appreciate it if you could.

I also see myself in these stories. As I was reporting on Thomas’ life, stories of his own personal financial struggles kept coming up. He repeatedly said he was jealous of his wealthy white classmates, and said his ex-girlfriend once lent him money while working for the federal government. I was struck by some of the similarities in our relationship to the ranks of judges.

I noticed little sign of the huge wealth gap between my family and the people I knew until I attended an all-boys Catholic high school in Houston that was home to some of the most famous and wealthy mostly white families. Ta. One of my classmates had a father who was probably the most famous trial lawyer in the city. Someone even picked me up in his BMW, covered in forest green, to go to a high school basketball game. Another time I visited another house. The house had an ice maker in the refrigerator, a game room on the second floor, and a pool in the backyard. It wasn’t my crowd, but it was… kind of. The most important thing about money is how much money you have. But there’s also how much the people around you have, and the emotions you may experience as a result, and the occasional occasion.

When I started my professional career, wealth and class made a difference that went beyond cool gadgets and fancy cars. Some of my friends were able to buy a house despite having what I considered an entry-level job. When the journalism industry was hit with layoffs, my wife and I worried about the future, while many of my colleagues lost their jobs but enjoyed vacations traveling across Europe with an invisible source of income. I joked that it was just that. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we can’t help but envy those who suddenly left their camps in search of summer resorts and vacation homes. Extra homes just sitting there are great for social distancing, but they can also be used to ensure no one in your family faces housing insecurity.

Meanwhile, we Many of them were entering retirement without significant savings or financial assets and were worried about their responsibilities to support themselves and their families. When we went to see our financial advisor, she congratulated us on our professional success. Yes, we made good money. However, this did not yet lead to economic stability. She affirmed our concerns about facing layoffs with no one to turn to for support, and acknowledged that the path to homeownership looks shaky without some sort of windfall. We co-signed loans for our families, paid hospital bills, and received amounts of Venmo dollars that didn’t seem important to us, but gave the person on the receiving end gas to get to work. Decide whether you can afford to pay. Like many others, we are also donating emergency medical bills and unpaid rent to a friend and colleague’s crowdfunding campaign. We know that if we are just unlucky for a few months, we may need similar help. We’re not alone here. According to a recent study, nearly two-thirds of American girlfriends are now living paycheck to paycheck.

So I wanted to know more about the people I’ve interviewed over the years, who can’t tell their stories and understand their lives without talking about money. Masu. you too. And me. This year, I want to talk to you, and I hope you’ll respond to me, too, and we’ll talk about what it means to be middle class in America, across the wealth spectrum. Understand what it means to be on both ends and what it means. Anyone in this range actually needs it to feel secure about their assets. These are the kinds of questions that will determine much of the upcoming election season, but let’s hope they’re not about politics or politicians. It will be a story about people who have to live up to their promises. policy.