The story of the American middle class is no longer a simple tale of steady paychecks and predictable progress. Across incomes, people who once felt secure now describe a grind of rising bills, ...

Middle-class life in the United States has always been defined less by a single number and more by a bundle of expectations: a stable home, a reliable car, some savings, and a shot at college for the ...

Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this story misspelled Jeremy Horpedahl's name. America’s middle class is spooked about the economy. Consumer confidence has been falling for most of ...