The Two-Income Trap

Why Middle-Class Parents Are Going Broke

By: Elizabeth Warren, Amelia Warren Tyagi

Narrated by: Julie Eickhoff

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

In this revolutionary exposé, Harvard Law School bankruptcy expert Elizabeth Warren and financial consultant Amelia Tyagi show that today's middle-class parents are increasingly trapped by financial meltdowns. Astonishingly, sending mothers to work has made families more vulnerable to financial disaster than ever before. Today's two-income family earns 75% more money than its single-income counterpart of a generation ago, but has 25% less discretionary income to cover living costs. This is "the rare financial book that sidesteps accusations of individual wastefulness to focus on institutional changes," raved the Boston Globe.

Warren and Tyagi reveal how the ferocious bidding war for housing and education has silently engulfed America's suburbs, driving up the cost of keeping families in the middle class. The authors show why the usual remedies - child-support enforcement, subsidized daycare, and higher salaries for women - won't solve the problem. But as the Wall Street Journal observed, "The book is brimming with proposed solutions to the nail-biting anxiety that the middle class finds itself in: subsidized day care, school vouchers, new bank regulation, among other measures." From Senator Edward M. Kennedy to Dr. Phil to Bill Moyers, The Two-Income Trap has created a sensation among economists, politicians, and families - all those who care about America's middle-class crisis.

©2003 Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A lengthy way to say a pretty obvious point

I appreciate the idea of this book and I do like how the Warrens address many of the conservative talking points when it comes to why Americans are more in debt now than ever before, but there is just a single, obvious point to make here (no spoilers) - the average American’s wage has stagnated since the 1970’s. An average American worker should be earning about $42,000 more annually than they do currently if the wages would’ve kept up with raise in productivity. Look it up, there are studies done on it. The gains have went to the 1% while the average American has seen their income and job security go down. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s clear - the Americans have been squeezed for all their worth while getting nothing in return and yet they continue to vote in conservative politicians who want to further decrease any social programs in benefit for the corporations and wealthy elites. Wake up, America!

Corrupt government must be stopped

Elizabeth and Amelia do a great job of laying out why our middle class is going down the drain in the US. If we don't sit up and take notice of how government deregulation is making life harder for the average American, and do something to change that, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Must Read

This book is a must for hard working families trying to make it in today's economy.

Perceptive, incisive and as relevant as ever

Despite the fact that this book is over a decade old, it's premise is as perceptive and incisive as ever.

The book is great, narrator is robotic

This is phenomenal book. Narrator does a fairly good job, but is very robotic most of the time.

Elizabeth Warren "gets it"

I didn't give five stars because the book was a little dates and because I wish Elizabeth Warren would have done the narration herself. Aside from that this is an excellent book on the rarely discussed plight of the middle class. Many who live one disaster (job loss, medical expense etc. ) from financial ruin.

Very timely.

Good to get Dr Warren's pre-presidential run viewpoints. Still liberal but we'll stated. Good luck on the campaign trail.

Good book, but narrator

This narrator is awful, but the content is logical and compelling. I might actually recommend this more as a paper book than as an audiobook if you can get away with it.

Save The Last Chapter for Reference

This book is incredibly helpful and insightful for young couples about to embark on major expenses and family planning. I know I'll be referring to the last chapter periodically as I plan out my financial future.
I would love to see an updated 2nd edition with newer figures and research.

great stuff

I really enjoyed this from learning about how banks are very responsible for a lot of our problems two mindsets about money I found the two-income trap to be very informative and would recommend I didn't think it was too hard to understand and anybody could understand it