Jesse Singer articles

Millennials have been blamed for ruining practically everything. But behind the jokes, something strange really did happen: products older generations bought without thinking are declining—some at such a rate that they very well might disappear completely.

The cereal aisle of the 1970s was a strange and wonderful place. But as the 1980s got underway, many of the brands we loved disappeared from store shelves. How many of these cereals do you remember? Or, even better, how many did you actually try?

Being named executor can sound like an honor until the court forms, bank calls, bills and family questions begin. Suddenly, one child is doing months of work while everyone else appears to be waiting for a check. Does that extra burden justify receiving more from the estate?

Baby Boomers did not just grow up with different products. They grew up surrounded by brand names that once appeared in nearly every supermarket and department-store in America. Then, somewhere along the way, those names disappeared—or became so much less visible that an entire generation barely knows they existed. So, how many of these do you remember?

For Baby Boomers in the 70s, these were the restaurants you went to after shopping, on family road trips or when nobody felt like cooking. Some even counted as a fancy night out. Today, mention their names to a Millennial and they won't know what you're talking about. How many do you remember? And also, if you could—which ones would you bring back?

You walked into the mall with money in your pocket and no plans to spend all of it. A few hours later, the money was gone, and somehow you needed to go back next weekend. These stores had a lot to do with that. How many do you remember?

For years, they did exactly what workers were told would keep them secure: showed up, learned every new system, accepted more responsibility and stayed loyal. Now, with retirement finally close enough to see, something has changed. And by the time many of them understand what’s happening, the decision may already have been made.

Retirement used to feel like a reward waiting at the end of a long working life. Today, millions of Americans are watching that reward move farther into the distance. The numbers behind that shift are worse than many people realize...and they explain why 75 is beginning to sound less like an exaggeration.

It was supposed to be a place to land for a few weeks or perhaps a couple of months. But the suitcases were unpacked, the departure date quietly disappeared and now the homeowner is being told something that sounds ridiculous: You cannot make your own child leave your own house without going to court.