What the Financial Meltdown Means to Me

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  AOL

  How Everyday Folks Are Feeling

  Every American -- rich, poor, young, old, blue, red, from CEOs to average Joes -- is feeling the effect of the market meltdown. Our WalletPop writers share how they, personally, are dealing (or not dealing) with the financial crisis.
  
  Click through our gallery to see which life stage -- and set of circumstances -- you relate with most.
  
  First Up: A Single Mom's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Julie Tilsner

  Julie Tilsner

  A Single Mom, Renter

  
  Name: Julie Tilsner
  
  Location: South Carolina
  
  What She Says: "I am the ant, and when elephants battle, it's my kind who ultimately get stomped on. So I'm clearing debt, trimming my budget, and hunkering down."
  
  · More on Julie's Situation
  
  Next: Her Daughter's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Anna Tilsner

  Julie Tilsner

  A Single Mother's Daughter

  
  Name: Anna
  
  Age: 11
  
  What She Says: "I'm scared what the effect is. I'm scared Mom might lose her job. And I'm scared because America is getting really bad. It's in debt and we're in a war. It's like the world is getting really bad."
  
  · More on Anna's Situation
  
  Next: A Young Married's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Josh Smith

  Josh Smith

  Young & Married, No House

  
  Name: Josh Smith
  
  Age: 25
  
  What He Says: "I share many of the same concerns as my elders regarding the overall health of our financial institutions, but by virtue of my youth I see fewer immediate downsides and a silver lining inside the gloomy forecast."
  
  · More on Josh's Situation
  
  Next: A Gen-X Parent's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Lan Nguyen

  Lan Nguyen

  A Gen-X Parent

  
  Name: Lan N. Nguyen
  
  Location: New York City
  
  What She Says: "My husband and I both work in print journalism, which, if you read the stories, is a dying industry. I haven't had a cost of living raise in six years. We are also raising our daughter in Manhattan, one of the most expensive cities in the world."
  
  · More on Lan's Situation
  
  Next: An East Coast Renter's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Bruce Watson

  Bruce Watson

  An East Coast Renter

  
  Name: Bruce Watson
  
  Age: 37
  
  What He Says: "The American building industry relies on credit. While New York floor space is at a premium, new buildings are built on credit, renovations are made on credit, materials are purchased on credit, and contractors are paid on credit. If credit dries up, so will the building jobs and so might my wife's income."
  · More on Bruce's Situation
  
  Next: A Gen-Yer's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Ian MacFarlane

  Ian MacFarlane

  A 25-Year-Old Gen-Yer

  
  Name: Ian MacFarlane
  
  Location: Virginia
  
  What He Says: "I'm ticked off that my generation has to pay for the foolhardy mistakes of my elders. People are getting hurt, and I don't want us to repeat the 1930's. My generation has enough on our hands that we need to fix."
  
  · More on Ian's Situation
  
  Next: A Mid-Western Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Geoff Williams

  Casssandra Shie, AOL

  Married Midwestern Parent

  
  Name: Geoff Williams
  
  Location: Ohio
  
  What He Says: "In many ways, I'm lucky. Having been mired in debt since graduating from college in 1992 and embarking on the rewarding (but not necessarily lucrative) profession of writing, I haven't had much to lose in the 401(k) and investments department."
  
  · More on Geoff's Situation
  
  Next: A West Coast Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Sarah Gilbert

  Sarah Gilbert

  Married West Coast Homeowner

  Name: Sarah Gilbert
  
  Location: Portland, Ore.
  
  What She Says: "In response to the financial crisis, I've decided to put more of my rather small 401(k) balance into the S&P 500 (seems like a buying opportunity) and finally start college saving accounts for my boys, also invested in index funds. Hopefully we can tell them how prescient their mama was to start when the market was at the Great Low of 2008."
  · More on Sarah's Situation
  
  Next: Boomer-Gen X's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Tobi Elkin

  Tobi Elkin

  Boomer-Gen X Tweener

  Name: Tobi Elkin
  
  Location: New York City
  
  What She Says: "I have grown more accustomed to life on the edge. I often don't expect much. I support myself with my own pluck and drive. I am constantly reminded by my Depression-era parents that I ought to have been a civil servant or a teacher or something that offers a pension. What's a pension?"
  
  · More on Tobi's Situation
  
  Next: A Boomer's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Jennie Phipps

  Jennie Phipps

  Boomer With Grown Children

  Name: Jennie L. Phipps
  
  What She Says: "My husband has a great job in a stable industry, but he's 63. Two years ago, we thought by this year he'd be officially retired -- doing a little consulting, but taking the winter off so we could spend the cold months somewhere warm. The economic slowdown has made us rethink our plans. He continues to work at his old job -- usually 50 or 60 hours a week -- because need what he earns.
  · More on Jennie's Situation
  
  Next: A Pre-Retirement Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Tom Barlow

  Tom Barlow

  Boomer Looking Ahead to Retire

  Name: Tom Barlow
  
  What He Says: If the market continues to bleed, much of our flexibility will disappear, including the option of early retirement. If it bleeds enough, tax revenue shortfalls on the local, state and national level could threaten funding for social welfare programs such as the one for which my wife works. When civil servants start to lose their jobs, we'll all be crying in our Metamucil.
  · More on Tom's Situation
  
  Next: A Retiree's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Daniel Solin

  Daniel Solin

  A Retiree

  
  Name: Dan Solin
  
  What He Says: "Mary's husband died a few years ago, leaving her, in her early eighties, with a nest egg sufficient to meet her needs for the rest of her life. Shortly after his death, her trusted "investment professional" invested most of her portfolio in two financial stocks. In less than two years, the portfolio lost over $150,000."
  
  · Dan on the Impact to Retirees
  
  Next: An Over-Eighty's Perspective

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

• Gunther and Barbara Bartlein

  Gunther and Bartlein

  Over Eighty

  
  Name: Barbara Bartlein
  
  What She Says: "My mother's house and car are paid in full and she retired with no debt. In spite of relatively modest income, she is able to put money away each month for unexpected expenses. While she does not see dramatic changes in finances for herself, she worries about her children and grandchildren."
  · More on Barbara's Mom's Situation
  
  More on AOL: 14 Companies Hit Hardest

  More on the Financial Crisis:

  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis

  How the Bailout Bill Could Benefit You

  Financial Meltdown: Ask Your Question

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  More From AOL:
  Companies Hit Hardest by Credit Crisis
  
  Now that you've seen how everyday people are being impacted by the financial meltdown, see which companies are feeling the heat as well. These 14 companies have been hit hard by the credit crisis.
  
  Next Gallery: 14 Companies in Jeopardy
  
  

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