New Wrinkle on Who Are The "Haves" - Are You Paying Your Bills, Have Surplus in Checking?

 Pre-2026: The Haves are the wealthy. 

The brutal factors in the current labor market -AI, cost-efficiency, offshoring, plus inflation - have blown that up. Emerging now is a new version of the Haves. They're the ones who can pay their bills on-time and have a reserve of funds in their checking account. 

In contrast, are the Have-Nots. Essentially they consist of the 72% of adults in America who are living in financial anxiety and 48% of those have been paying their bills late. Among the Have-Nots, recently personal bankruptcies have increased 11%.

This new category in socioeconomics makes the concept of "middle class" irrelevant. 

Smirk.

Remember it used to be considered an attribute of being middle class to purchase only brands, own a house and speak standard English. 

Well, store private labels are being purchased and served to guests without shame. Don't expect Lay's and Doritos at my Super Bowl party. The chips will be Walmart's Great Value.

In more and more contexts, it's considered financially less risky to rent, not own. 

And the electricians, plumbers and welders are not self-conscious that the college-educated (and probably unemployed) might notice their grammatical errors. They're probably the ones who can afford to maintain a house. In their driveway are a boat and RV.

This ability to pay your bills and do that without financial strain used to be known as "cash is king." That's exactly why I, as a coach, hammer the importance of not allowing funds to go low or, horrors, run out. 

Instead of sitting around one-dimensionally applying for jobs - you know, the big score - grab work, any work. Not only does that keep income coming it. In interviews for better jobs you come across as work-ready, confident, not desperate. 

Meanwhile, even though many of us over-50 are beyond our peak earning years we can feel plenty good about ourselves if we continue to be able to pay our bills and not have to worry if an unexpected one comes up. We are The Haves. No need to pay attention to old-line middle-class metrics.

Earning a Good Living in 2026 Involves Mental Combat. The enemy is usually your own thinking.

Complimentary consultation. No Pressure. Solid Guidance. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.