Kenan Godfrey

10/16/2026

Here’s a question that gets uncomfortable quickly:

Suppose you can afford your lifestyle while you’re working.

What happens when the paycheck stops?

American Dream Sticker Shock estimates the annual cost of its hypothetical American Dream at about $175,000.

Then it asks a much bigger question:

If you retire at 65, could your savings support that lifestyle for another 20 or 30 years?

That changes the way you think about retirement.

Retirement isn’t simply reaching a certain age.

It’s replacing income.

The report also points out that company pensions have largely disappeared, while individuals increasingly carry responsibility for building their own retirement assets.

Which means the retirement question shouldn’t begin at 62, 65 or 67.

It should begin much earlier.

What kind of life do I want later, and what am I building today to support it?

The answer will be different for every family.

But the question is worth asking now.

Not someday.

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/kenangodfrey/sticker-shock

10/15/2026

What if your future didn’t have to depend on someone else’s decisions? 💡

After seeing how experienced employees were treated in corporate America, I decided to take a different path—one focused on ownership, equity, and greater control over time and money.

If you’ve been feeling dissatisfied with where you are or wondering how to make the American dream feel achievable again, it may be time to explore new possibilities.

You don’t have to have all the answers to take the first step. Let’s connect and explore what opportunity could look like for you.

10/14/2026

10/14/2026

Here are two numbers that deserve to be seen together:

$81,604 and $175,000.

According to American Dream Sticker Shock, $81,604 represents the typical U.S. household income used in the report.

Around $175,000 is what the report estimates it can take annually to fund its hypothetical version of the American Dream.

That is a significant gap.

And according to the report, only about 1 in 5 U.S. households earns around $175,000 per year.

This helps explain why families can feel financially stretched even when they are working hard and earning what seems like a respectable income.

The problem isn’t always lack of effort.

Sometimes the math itself has changed.

Housing costs changed.
Healthcare costs changed.
Food changed.
Retirement responsibilities changed.

So maybe we should stop asking people simply to “work harder.”

A better question might be:

What strategy are we using to close the gap?

That’s the conversation American Dream Sticker Shock is trying to start.

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/kenangodfrey/sticker-shock

10/12/2026

When credit card debt grows at 24% while savings earn just 0.38%, it’s easy to feel like you’re working hard but still falling behind. 📉

One potential solution? Creating additional income through business ownership. Starting part-time while keeping your current job could be a way to bring more income into your household while building toward new opportunities.

Your paycheck doesn’t have to be your only path forward. Learn how money works, explore your options, and take steps toward a stronger financial future.

10/12/2026

Big dreams need more than motivation.

They need a way to be funded.

American Dream Sticker Shock frames it simply:

A plan.
A vehicle.
Payments.

Not loan payments.

Effort.

The plan is deciding what you are actually trying to build.

The vehicle is something capable of producing the income required to support that vision.

The payments are the consistent actions taken over time.

For some people, the gap between their current income and their desired life may be addressed through saving and investing.

For others, the report introduces another possibility:

Entrepreneurship.

Solve a problem people need solved.
Build something around that solution.
Create the possibility of income beyond a traditional salary structure.

That’s where the report moves from describing the problem to discussing opportunity.

And perhaps that’s the most important question it leaves us with:

If your current path cannot financially produce the future you want, are you willing to consider another path?

The numbers are only the beginning of the conversation.

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/kenangodfrey/sticker-shock

10/09/2026

The American dream is getting more expensive—but are our paychecks keeping up? 💭

Homeownership, education for our children, healthcare, family vacations, and a comfortable retirement are all part of the dream many Americans are working toward. But as the cost of living continues to rise faster than salaries, achieving those goals is becoming harder for more and more families.

Understanding how money works is a crucial step toward making informed decisions, building a plan, and creating a stronger financial future.

What does the American dream mean to you—and what will it take to make it a reality? 🇺🇸

10/08/2026

What do Americans actually mean when they say “the American Dream”?

Surprisingly, it isn’t primarily about becoming wealthy.

Research highlighted in American Dream Sticker Shock found that Americans most often associate the Dream with:

Freedom.
Financial security.
Homeownership.
Opportunity.
A good family life.

One survey cited in the report found that 80% considered freedom of choice in how to live essential to the Dream.

76% said a good family life.

Only 17% identified becoming wealthy as essential.

That distinction matters.

For most people, the goal isn’t necessarily extravagance.

It’s having enough control over your finances that you can make choices for yourself and your family.

The problem?

Even that version of the American Dream has become increasingly expensive.

The new report asks a question every family should consider:

What does your version of the American Dream actually require financially?

And are you building toward it intentionally?

Read more here:
https://wealthwave.com/kenangodfrey/sticker-shock

10/06/2026

Here’s what makes financial planning difficult:

The target doesn’t stay still.

The first edition of American Dream Sticker Shock calculated the annual price tag at:

$130,357.

The new edition calculates:

$174,529.

That’s an increase of $44,172 per year over roughly a decade.

Some of the biggest increases identified in the report came from areas families cannot easily ignore:

Homeownership.
Healthcare.
Retirement.
Groceries.

And while wages increased too, the report argues that they did not keep pace with some of the expenses that matter most.

That should make all of us think.

A financial strategy that worked 10 years ago may not automatically work 10 years from now.

Your income needs can change
Your retirement target can change.
Your family responsibilities can change.

The question isn’t simply:

“Am I okay today?”

It’s also:

“Is my financial strategy capable of keeping up?”

That’s why financial education matters.
https://wealthwave.com/kenangodfrey/sticker-shock

10/05/2026

What happens to the family farm when the next generation takes over?

Without a plan, land that has been in a family for decades can end up divided, sold, or used for something completely different from the family’s original vision.

Estate planning isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about making decisions today that can help protect what your family has built for generations.

Whether it’s hundreds of acres, a family farm, or simply the family home, your legacy deserves a plan.

Start with the basics. Put the right documents in place. Make the decision.