Americans still believe 30 is the goal post for a dream job and a first home, new research reveals—but in reality, that timeline of ‘adulthood’ is changing. Boomer parents like to brag about buying their first homes in cash, but in 2025, milestones like putting a down payment on your first home are starting much later. Even for those fortunate enough to kickstart their careers on the corporate ladder and rack in six figures , the money isn’t stretching as far as it used to.

Americans love to keep an imaginary list of life milestones–buy a home, start a family, hit six figures, all complete with age expiration dates. What they don’t realize is that most of the ages they attach to those goals don’t exist.

A recent survey from Empower found that the average age Americans think

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