[horrified]

"If Read suffered from poor health during his working years or required long-term care, his estate would be a fraction of what it was."

So don't bother saving or trying to get rich, because you might become ill and have to spend the money on your health?

The whole article seems weird. What is their point? So 300$/Month is not enough, but 500$ would be? Surely that is something many people could at least aspire to?

I think the poverty discussion often overlooks the fluent nature of the economy. People who have low paying jobs today (say pizza driver) don't necessarily have the same job forever. But new "poor people" (often young people) will enter the market and become pizza drivers.

Should pizza drivers give up all hope and just "live"?

Also afaik the markets had good returns in the long run pretty much always. If it really would not be worthwhile to invest anything anymore, some serious questioning of politics would be in order.

I only recently read "The Millionaire Next Door", and while I didn't really like the writing style, I think it still made some good points.