This graph was suggested by Sheila Bair - who used to chair the FDIC
“There has been much discussion about income inequality, but not enough focus on
its corollary: debt inequality. As real wages for the masses decline, they try
to sustain consumption through borrowing from the wealthy. This economic model
is, of course, unsustainable, and eventually collapses, as we discovered in 1929
and again in 2007. Unfortunately, our tepid recovery continues to rely primarily
on asset inflation and cheap credit to support economic growth, even as real
income for most people erodes, likely setting us up for another bust down the
road.”