The 2026 election is about many issues, but a significant one is the lack of affordability. Unfortunately, few politicians want to admit that the real reason is the declining value of the dollar. Porter Stansberry, in his new book, tells the story of three generations.

John (the grandfather) was born in 1938 in a small Pennsylvanian town. He worked most of his life at Armstrong Cork Company and raised a family on a single salary. He paid for all four of his children’s college education. When he died, his estate was approximately $780,000 along with a paid-off house, a modest IRA, and Armstrong stock.

David (his son) was born in 1968 and graduated from Penn State with a degree in mechanical engineering. He and his wife (who worked part time as a nurse) had three children. He still works at 60 but may retire in a few more years, but two of his children are moving home because they cannot afford a house.

Jake is David’s oldest son. He graduated from Penn State with a master’s degree in computer science. He works remotely as a software developer for a firm in Seattle. He makes $142,000 a year, but cannot buy a house, because the median home in his ZIP code is $385,000 and he has $47,000 in student loans. And please don’t tell him he can’t make ends meet simply because he eats too much avocado toast.

All three generations of these men have a good work ethic and made wise choices. What hurt each successive generation was inflation because the dollar was worth less. The price of houses and college tuition went up. But wages and salaries did not keep up.

The real cause for an affordability crisis is the government that spends too much and fuels inflation.

Porter Stansberry, 2029: The End of America: Why the Age of Paper Money is Ending and How to Survive the Coming Global Monetary Reset, Porter & Company, 2026.