[olentangy]

Why focus on income? It can so fleeting.

I cashed out a bunch of options last year that put me in into seven figures for ONE YEAR. Next year I'll be making no salary since I "retired" because of my windfall.

I'm way better off than I was when I was making a low six figure salary, but by this measure I'll be worse off.

People need to remember that salaries and wealth are dynamic. Most of the people in the 1% weren't there 10 years ago and certainly won't be there in 10 years.

[napierzaza]

I don't understand your reasoning that they won't be there in 10 years. Money opens doors for you to make more money and to give your kids more opportunities. Unless you assume that people are essentially all addicted to gambling.

[olentangy]

I shouldn't have said "most". It's more like 34% of the top 20% fall to a lower quintile over six years according to a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study of households from 1002 to 2007. (http://www.minneapolisfed.org/research/qr/qr3411.pdf) I should have looked this up instead of just trusting my memory.

Still pretty significant.