This week on Life Inc., we wrote about a new Gallup survey finding that, on average, Americans think a family of four needs to bring in a minimum of $58,000 a year to get by in their community.

Many of our readers seemed to find that to be about right. About half of the more than 32,000 readers who took our survey said they thought you need between $50,000 and $75,000 a year to get by in their community.

But the story sparked a strong debate over what you really need to live on.

For many, "getting by" meant more than just having the bare necessities.

“If ‘get by’ means not starve or freeze, it could be lower. But to own a home or retire eventually, a little more is needed,” said one reader who chose between $50,000 and $75,000 a year.

Still, others said that they would need between $50,000 and $75,000 to cover even what most would consider basics, such as housing, transportation and medical costs.

And many said that while they could meet basic needs on less money, lower wages wouldn’t allow them to provide the extras for their children that they think are key to getting a leg up in life.

“This would provide food and transportation. Enrichment, technology and educational additions would be off the table. Class gap widens,” said one reader who choose between $30,000 and $50,000.

Others argued that the definition of what people “need” to get by has changed dramatically in recent years.

 “People have an entirely different idea of ‘need’ than in the Fabulous 50's ...we didn't ‘need’ a TV but we got one when times were good,” said one reader who chose $30,000 or less.

Some readers weren’t just speaking theoretically – they said they had learned to make it work by cutting out extras.

“My family of 3 is getting by on $20,000 a year. We don't pay for commercial TV, we eat at home, and we have learned to live with less,” one reader wrote.

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Heading out of town this holiday weekend? Be prepared and you can save a bundle.

There’s a lot that can go wrong on a summer vacation. You can pay too much for a plane ticket, get stuck in a lousy hotel or get sick in a foreign country. The best way to reduce your odds of having a vacation nightmare is to plan ahead and know how to work the system.

If you’re looking for a travel deal, like to cruise and aren’t worried about a rash of recent problems at sea – you’re in luck.

“These days, cruises are among the best vacation values, especially if you have the flexibility to pick up a last-minute deal,” said Ed Perkins, travel expert for SmarterTravel.com. “Lots of cruise agencies are promoting a combination of low rates and several-level upgrades.”

Perkins noted that some transatlantic repositioning cruises have inside rooms starting at $50 a day per person and even outside and balcony rooms at under $100 per person per day. Those will start operating from Europe to the Caribbean this fall and again to Europe in the spring.

During a TODAY Money Chat this week, Perkins shared a variety of timely travel tips.

What’s the best way to pay when in a foreign country?
“Use a credit card for big expenses,” Perkins said. “Use a debit card to get cash from ATMs.”

As soon as you make your plans, check to see if your credit card charges a currency conversion fee. Some cards don’t charge for this service (NerdWallet.com has a list of these cards). Others will ding you for as much as 3 percent of the total purchase price. But that’s a lot better than you’d get exchanging currency or travelers checks, Perkins told me.

What about using those currency exchange services at the airport?
“In my experience, airport exchange desks have the worst exchange rates you find anywhere. Avoid them if you can,” Perkins cautioned. “Almost all big airports these days have ATMs where you can get local currency.”

Both MasterCard and Visa have worldwide locator services on their websites that let you find their airport ATMs.

What about using my credit cards outside the U.S.?
In many parts of the world, especially Europe, they use “smart cards” that have an embedded computer chip.

A traditional credit card with a magnetic strip on the back will not work at some retail stores and restaurants. They are virtually useless at automated kiosks – the kind you might find at a train station or parking garage.

Quite a few American banks now issue chip-enabled cards. If you’re headed abroad, ask your credit card issuer if you can get one.

How do these cards work in a foreign country?
“The U.S. issued chip cards differ from some others in that you still have to sign rather than use a PIN,” Perkins explained. “But the Europeans I encountered can easily deal with that, and the cards work in automated systems without either a PIN or signature.”What about travel sites, such as Priceline and Hotwire that promise to get you a hotel for less?
Perkins said  he has had very good luck using them. He tends to stick to 3 1/2 or 4-star properties.

“[But] the prices aren't always as good as they seem,” he said. “Those agencies typically add as much as $50 in their own fees, so what you pay is more than what you bid or select.”

What about insurance; is that worth getting?
Perkins recommends trip cancellation/interruption (TCI) insurance any time you have advance payments with cancellation penalties that are more than you want to pay if you have to cancel a trip.

“I recommend ‘cancel for any reason’ insurance so you don't have to argue with a bean counter about whether you cancelled for a ‘covered’ reason,” he said.

Check to see if your health insurance policy covers you while you’re traveling. If not, you’d better get some extra protection. Remember: Medicare does not work outside the U.S. and you don’t have all that much coverage with a Medigap policy.

That’s why travelers 65 or older going outside the country would be wise to buy medical insurance for their trip. Perkins said the best medical policies pay up front if you need medical treatment; you don't have to foot the bill and then ask for reimbursement later.

Read the full chat with Ed Perkins from SmarterTravel.com for more money-saving advice and travel tips:

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Kmart, the retailer that brought you the viral play-on-words “ship my pants” commercials, is back -  and this time it’s promoting “big gas savings.”

Say it again. Fast. Get it?

Sears Holding, which owns Kmart, is no doubt hoping that the ads will translate into more than just giggles. Sears Holding lost $489 million in the most recent quarter ended Feb. 2, as revenue fell slightly.

Related: Say what? Kmart’s new ship my pants ad goes viral

Slideshow: Tornadoes ravage Plains

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Destroyed vehicles lie in the rubble outside the Plaza Towers Elementary school in Moore, Okla., on Tuesday.

Launch slideshow

For many, it's impossible to view the heartbreaking stories coming out of Oklahoma and not feel an overwhelming urge to do something. But following your first impulse to help could just lead to more heartbreak, as many charitable givers often fall prey to scams in the wake of national tragedies.

Authorities are warning would-be donors to think carefully before they donate, and before they click.

"There is always a high probability for con-artists or 'travelers' to pop-up in the state following a storm, pushing quick-fix repair schemes and charity scams," Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt said in a press release. He urged Oklahomans to stay alert.

Scam artists crawl out of the woodwork only hours after the first pictures of death and destruction emerge. Like clockwork, spam emails, fake Facebook pages, telemarketing phone calls — even full-fledged websites that accept credit cards — pop up, all claiming falsely that they are collecting money for victims. Virus writers also get into the act, sending around booby-trapped emails that appear to come from charities, but are designed to invade victims' computers.

Pruitt said people around the country should donate to "reputable" organizations such as the Salvation Army or Red Cross. "The first scam we typically see after devastation like this is charity fraud,” he said

Pruitt also said his department has already sent 30 investigators into the tornado-ravaged area to stop local scams, fraud and price gouging.

For a detailed list of ways to help Oklahoma victims, visit NBC News' How to Help page.

Attorneys general in several other states, from Washington to South Carolina, have also issued charity fraud warnings.

Even consumers who wouldn't normally fall for scams are at risk in the aftermath of major disasters because the overwhelming sadness of the events, and the urgency of the need, can override a giver's natural sense of skepticism. The same urgency force is at play whenever a scam artist insists that a supposedly great deal is only available for a short time.

Federal Trade Commission spokesman Frank Dorman said he didn't believe his agency had received any complaints about Oklahoma-related scams yet, but that's not unusual: victims wouldn't yet realize they'd been scammed, he said.

The agency does offer an extensive set of tips for evaluating charities.

Consumers should beware anyone who:

• Uses high-pressure tactics like trying to get you to donate immediately, without giving you time to think about it and do your research.
• Refusing to provide detailed information about its identity, mission, costs and how the donation will be used.
• Won't provide proof that a contribution is tax deductible.
• Uses a name that closely resembles that of a better-known, reputable organization.
• Thanks you for a pledge you don’t remember making.
• Asks for donations in cash or asks you to wire money.
• Offers to send a courier or overnight delivery service to collect the donation immediately.

Follow Bob Sullivan on Facebook or Twitter. 

Related content:

• National Guard: 'Words can't describe' the Okla. damage
• 'She was always happy': Families grieve tornado victim
• The latest on the aftermath of the Oklahoma tornado
• Tornado victim separated from spouse: 'The house totally disappeared'

This Ignite stroller from The First Years boasts many features found on more expensive models.

With LCD dashboards, smooth handling, and independent suspension, high-end strollers can sound like luxury cars. They can also be tough to fit in the back of a car, not to mention a public bus or train. After about six months or so with a full-featured travel system, many parents look to add a lightweight alternative to their arsenal of baby gear. Cue the umbrella stroller. Like its namesake, it has curved handles, collapses into a narrow column, and can be carried in one hand. What’s more, you can find well-reviewed models that cost no more than $60.

Here are the top picks from Cheapism.com:

• The First Years Ignite (starting at $60) is a hands-down favorite in this price range, with overwhelmingly positive reviews online. It earns plaudits for its agility and easy one-handed folding, as well as an abundance of features many buyers say they didn’t expect to find on a budget model. Those include a five-point harness, a big selling point for safety-conscious parents; an adjustable and removable sunshade; a reclining seat; and a large pouch on the handles for convenient storage, as well as a basket underneath. This model is on the hefty side for an umbrella stroller, at 14.25 pounds, but it holds children up to 50 pounds. (Where to buy)

RELATED: Double stroller reviews and recommendations

• The First Years Jet (starting at $39) is cheaper and more svelte than the Ignite -- it weighs 11.5 pounds -- yet it has the same 50-pound weight limit. It also comes with almost all the same features, save for swiveling front wheels that lock into place. Even without that feature, the stroller maneuvers easily, reviewers say, and provides a comfortable ride. (Where to buy)

RELATED: 8 Cheap Summer Family Vacations

• Babies R Us Umbrella Strollers (starting at $20) likewise come in two similar versions at different price points. An extra $10 buys a model that weighs just 6.5 pounds and sports a storage pouch and a larger, retractable canopy. Parents appreciate that both strollers are so light and compact. They have only three-point harnesses, but reviewers report that children seem very secure in the sturdy straps and comfortable overall. These strollers can transport children up to 35 pounds. (Where to buy)

RELATED: Recommended jogging strollers under $200

In general a five-point harness, which includes shoulder straps, is preferable to a three-point harness, with straps only around the waist and between the legs. Even umbrella strollers that recline, such as the models above from The First Years, don’t lay all the way flat, so they aren’t suitable for newborns. Mayo Clinic staff and other experts recommend waiting until babies are about six months old before putting them in one of these lightweight strollers.

If you can, try out an umbrella stroller before you buy it and make sure you can manage it easily. It should be comfortable for you as well as your child. Reviewers note, for instance, that the tall handles on The First Years strollers save them from having to bend over to push.

Related from Cheapism:
Umbrella strollers buying guide

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After plummeting in the wake of the financial crisis, spending on weddings is resuming/

Thinking of getting married? Get out your wallet.

The average cost of a wedding is as high as $28,400 by one estimate, and close to $26,000 by another. After plummeting in the wake of the financial crisis, spending on nuptials resumed its rise in 2010, and is once again approaching the record set before the financial crisis.

"In today's environment, the bride and groom are paying more of the cost. When the economy was different, that's why you saw it go down," said Shane McMurray, president and chief executive of theweddingreport.com. Now "they're willing to spend a little more."

The substantial spending on weddings comes as consumers are generally regaining confidence, so in that sense it is just part of a larger trend. But the increase has also been abetted by the companies that sell wedding accoutrements, from gowns to ring pillows, for the big day.

(Read more: These Four Companies LOVE Wedding Season)

Then there are the social media sites where couples planning weddings can find endless ideas for attire, entertainment, décor and more—with no price tags attached. The wedding boards at Pinterest, for example, drive significant traffic to purveyors of wedding-related goods.

(Read more: Will Pinterest Ruin Your Wedding?)

If you are determined to keep your wedding costs in check despite the various pressures to spend big, experts have a slew of suggestions.

For starters, size matters. "The number one thing you can do to keep your wedding costs down is to keep your guest list down," said Dena Davey, director of marketing for the Association of Bridal Consultants.

Spending per guest reached $204 in 2012, according to the wedding website theknot.com, which conducts an annual survey of wedding costs. So the potential savings from a smaller ceremony are clear.

Another way to save is to think outside the box when it comes to timing. Saturday evening weddings tend to be the most expensive, Davey said, since they usually involve a dinner reception and event spaces often charge more for that time. "Fridays and Sundays are really popular right now."

You may also be able to find bargains if you get married in the off season. June and December are the most popular months for weddings, so vendors may be more willing to negotiate if you are talking to them at other times of the year.

McMurray suggested taking a look at the elements of the wedding that don't have to be custom made or individualized as areas for savings.

"When it comes to the dress and other specific, custom things, there is not a lot of room for DIY," he said. "Invitations and favors—all of those components are very easily made with today's technology." The range of options for photography and music are also wider, he added.

Flowers offer additional opportunities for curbing costs. Something pretty is blooming any time of the year, and if you stick to seasonal blooms, you will save.

And remember, while there are plenty of blogs and websites that spur you to spend, there are also lots of sites that point to ways to save. Bridalbrokerage.com lets you buy up the fixings for weddings that got cancelled, and tradesy.com offers a range of almost-new wedding dresses. Projectwedding.com offers tips on how to resell things, like unused table linens.

(Read More: Budget Brides Save by Buying Canceled Weddings)

The biggest savings suggestion? Focus on what you're doing, n

ot the things you'll have around you. Perfect flowers or not perfect flowers, your wedding day is likely to be magical.

Americans think that a family of four would need to bring in a minimum of $58,000 a year, on average, just to get by in their community, a new Gallup survey finds.

That’s more than double the 2012 poverty threshold for a family of four, which was around $24,000 a year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The results are not far off from what Americans told Gallup when it asked a similar question in 2007, and experts say it’s consistent with long-term trends as well.

Mark Rank, a professor of social welfare at Washington University in St. Louis, said Americans have for decades reported that the minimum families need to get by is two to three times the actual poverty thresholds.

The thresholds themselves also have come under scrutiny from both the left and the right, with policymakers on both sides arguing they are a poor measure of how many people in this country are actually poor.

The Gallup survey of about 1,000 Americans, which was released last week, asked Americans to name the smallest amount of money a family of four would need to make each year to get by in their own community. The data was collected in mid-April.

Related: Are you having fewer kids, or none at all, because of the economy?

They found that people with higher incomes said a family of four would need a higher amount, on average, than those who have lower incomes. People who lived in the suburbs also named a higher amount, on average, than those who are living in cities or rural areas.

Rank said it makes sense that the amount of money you think is needed to cover basic expenses would vary depending on where you live. The cost of living in the rural Midwest is likely much lower than in the metropolitan East, for example.

He also noted that people’s expectations for how much money they need in order to cover what they consider basic needs tends to go up as they get wealthier.

“What they’re considering necessary is going to vary between somebody who’s earning $20,000 versus somebody who’s earning $200,000,” he said.

In addition, he noted, no matter how much money people make, they tend to think that they could use a little more to feel truly comfortable.

“They’ll always say, ‘If I just had a little bit more to get by on,’” he said.

The median – or midpoint – of household income for all households in the United States, regardless of size, was $50,054 in 2011, according to the latest government data available. The median – or midpoint – of the responses to the Gallup poll question about the family of four specifically also was $50,000.

Related: 'By the grace of God:' How workers survive on $7.25 per hour 

Your boss may have a pretty good idea of what kinds of e-mail you are sending or where you are going with that company truck – and in this modern age, many readers said they aren’t that surprised.

A Life Inc. post on how employers are able to more easily monitor their employees’ communications and behavior prompted some readers to share stories of having e-mail chains quashed or being questioned for bathroom breaks.

But many others said they were well aware of the practice. About four in 10 readers who took our survey said they are very careful about their workplace activities.

 “Anyone monitoring my phone calls, e-mails, etc. will have a pretty boring job most of the time. I'll just wait until they are bored and run in a zinger, just to wake (them) up,” one reader joked.

In fact, many readers said they expected – and understood -  that the boss might be watching.

“Remember work computers, servers, phones etc. belong to the company. They have every right to see what is going on with those things. I know I spend a lot of time at home doing work things. It's a two way street,” one reader wrote.

Still, many also said they should have the right to be told exactly what their employer was monitoring.

“Actually, I'm okay with employers reading employee e-mails and phone records. However, they need to confess that they do this and post it on their HR website along with all the other employee benefits they so graciously provide,” another reader commented.

Getting left at the altar is bad enough, but it’s even worse if you’re also stuck holding the bag filled with bills.

One website is helping would-be brides cut their losses if they’ve planned a wedding and then called it off.  Couples can lose thousands of dollars in deposits on reception halls, flowers, photographers and more.

“If you're a bride you can go ahead and log on and you'll be able to see if there are open wedding dates that have been called off or if there are vendors in your area that have open weddings that they would like to sell off at a discount,” said Lauren Byrne, founder of BridalBrokerage.com.

Angela Wakefield and her fiancé Chris Watkins used the site to save about $4,000 on their California wedding reception.
 
“We figured it was a no-brainer to get a pre-paid package and it was kind of all planned out, so it was easier and cost effective,” Wakefield said. “I think it was just really easy, it took the headache away from me.”

Wakefield found a canceled $12,000 package that was on sale through the brokerage for $7,900.

Wakefield ended up way ahead the game considering the average U.S. couple spent $25,656 for their wedding in 2012, according to research company Wedding Report, Inc.

“Since we're saving so much money, I can splurge on some other things,” Wakefield said.

The brokerage attracts deal seekers, along with “non-planners, and those on accelerated timelines, including active deployment and pregnancies,” according to the website. Most couples who buy canceled weddings are still able to choose their own food, colors, flowers and cake, depending on how close it is to the wedding date. In some cases, they incur extra fees for changes or upgrades to the originally purchased package.

“It's a win for everyone,” said Lauren Jennings, the general manager of Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center. “For the venue, we now have a wedding that we were hoping for on a particular date.  The old bride who canceled, she now gets a portion of her money back that she paid.  For the new bride, she gets an amazing deal for her wedding.”

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Getting that first credit card is a big step for your child; one that can have serious negative consequences for years to come.

Your high school graduate wants a credit card. Is that good or bad?

Experts say it all depends on the child and how he or she will use the card.

“If they look at the card as a ticket to more spending, you should be worried,” said Laura Levine, executive director of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy. “If they know how credit cards work and are responsible, then it can be a good thing.”

Even though they don’t have a credit history yet, college-bound students may find offers that are comparable to what someone with excellent credit might get. The credit limit will be much lower, but the terms – including rewards – may be the same.

“This is because kids headed to college have a much higher earnings potential than those who are not,” explained Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of CardHub.com. “Banks know this and they want to build a relationship with them to get into their wallet as early as possible. “

CardHub.com just published its 2013 list of the Best Credit Cards for High School and College Graduates. None of the cards has an annual fee.

“A card without an annual fee allows the student to start building credit for free – and that is the number one priority,” Papadimitriou told me. “You build credit faster by using the card and paying in full each month, but you still build credit even if you throw it in a drawer or cut it in half. The card company will report to the credit bureaus that you are in good standing.”

Some other options
College kids are a prime target for credit card companies, so they will get offers as they prepare to head off to school.

The law says anyone under 21 who applies for a credit card must have a co-signer on the account or be able to show their ability to pay the bills. A part-time job could be enough to qualify.

“Parents need to remember that a lender may approve their kid for that credit card, even if they don't approve,” said Gerri Detweiler, personal finance expert at Credit.com.

Detweiler and other financial experts encourage parents not to become co-signers because of the potential risk: you put your credit on the line with no real control over how your child uses the card. Legally, you are liable for any debt they incur.

There is a better way.

John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com, advises parents to add their age-appropriate children as “authorized users” on the card. He calls it “a credit card with training wheels.”

“This allows your child to have a credit card with their name printed on the front of it, but as the primary cardholder you maintain all the control,” he explained. “You can essentially manage your kid’s use of the card, almost in real time, and kick them off the card if they start to abuse it.”

Of course, as the primary cardholder, you are still responsible for paying the bill.

Go this route and your child gets all the benefit of having their own credit card, but you don’t have the downsides of a cosigner.

“Your child is actually building a credit history by being an authorized user because the account is showing up on their credit reports,” Ulzheimer said.

We need to talk
Getting that first credit card is a big step for your child; one that can have serious negative consequences for years to come.

Credit scores, which are based on a person’s credit history, will determine their ability to get credit in the future and what price they will pay for it.

Someone with a low credit score may not be able to rent an apartment, get a car loan or open a wireless phone account. Credit reports are now used by employers to screen job applicants and some insurance companies to set rates (where allowed by law).

It’s important to have a conversation with your child about the consequences of not managing that card properly. They need to understand that bills are to be paid in full and on time each and every month.

“One late payment can literally drop your credit score 50 to 80 points or more,” Detweiler explained. “A lot of adults don’t realize that, much less kids who are just starting out. So you want to talk to your kids about how this impacts their credit and how important it is to pay those bills on time.”

Where things stand
A new study from Sallie Mae finds that more college students these days “exercise caution with credit cards” and that’s encouraging.  A third of student card holders have a zero balance, 42 percent have a balance of $500 or less and just 24 percent have a balance of more than $500.

The survey found the percentage of college kids with credit cards has declined during the last two years, from 42 percent in 2010 to 35 percent in 2012. Freshman are least likely to have a card in their name (21 percent) compared to 60 percent of seniors.

Sallie Mae reminds students to only charge what they can afford, pay the bill before it’s due to avoid accidental late fees and to remember that a credit card is a convenience, not a source of spending money.

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

The Great Recession hurt a lot of people and this loss of wealth will follow millions into retirement, according to a report released Thursday.

Early baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1955) may be “the last group on track to retire with enough savings to maintain their financial security through their golden years," the study finds. But the rest of us are in for a world of hurt -- especially Gen-Xers (born between 1966 and 1975).

The study by Pew Charitable Trusts, Retirement Security Across Generations: Are Americans Prepared for Their Golden Years? shows that early boomers lost 28 percent of their median net worth; late boomers (born between 1956 and 1965) lost 25 percent from 2007 to 2010. However, Gen-Xers lost nearly half (45 percent) of their wealth – about $33,000 on average – during that same time period. And they didn’t have that much savings to begin with.

“Gen-X is the first generation that’s unlikely to exceed the wealth of the group that came before it and face downward mobility in retirement,” said Erin Currier, director of Pew’s Economic Mobility Project. “They have lower financial net worth than previous groups had at this same age and they lost nearly half of their wealth in the recession.”

Financial planners generally recommend that you save enough to replace 70 to 100 percent of your pre-retirement income when you leave the workforce. Pew’s research shows the typical Gen-Xer will only be able to replace half of that income.

When it comes to retirement savings, late boomers (born between 1956 and 1965) are more like Gen-X than early boomers. They’re on track to replace only 60 percent of their pre-retirement income.

RELATED: Retirement age in US rises to 61 (from 57 in the 1990s

You may be surprised to learn that some people saw their wealth grow during the recession. Pew found that a sizable minority of households – 39 to 44 percent – had a positive change in wealth between 2007 and 2009.

“As an example, more than a third of households in this age group experienced gains in home equity during that two-year period,” Currier noted.

Gen-X: the most financially-challenged group
Gen-X wasn’t in very good shape before the recession hit. Their net worth was less than other age groups that came before them. They also had lowest rates of home ownership of all the groups studied.

The recession only made things worse. They experienced the largest percentage decline in median net worth, losing nearly half of their wealth.

Gen-X has significantly higher levels of debt than those in the other groups did at the same age. Pew found that the average Gen-Xer has already accumulated $80,000 in debt.

Key Findings

• Early boomers are financially prepared for retirement: Those born between 1946 and 1955 are approaching retirement in better financial shape than the age groups that came before them. This group benefited from both the dot-com boom and the housing bubble.Americans in their 50s and 60s have higher overall wealth, financial net worth, and home equity than Depression babies (born between 1926 and 1935) or war babies (born between 1936 and 1945) had at the same ages.
• Wealth accumulation and savings for Americans born after 1955 is mixed: Neither Gen-Xers (in their 30s and 40s) nor late boomers (in their late 40’s and 50’s) are on track to exceed the financial position of those immediately preceded them.
• Baby boomers and Gen-Xers have significantly lower asset-to-debt ratios than do older Americans: Depression and war babies spent the last two decades reducing their debt, while baby boomers and Gen-Xers have been accumulating it. In 2010, war babies had accumulated assets worth 27 times more than their debts. In contrast, assets for late boomers were only four times their debts. Gen-Xers’ assets were about double their debts.

Pew’s Erin Currier believes there is a clear takeaway message for America’s policymakers from this data.

“As they focus attention on America’s retirement security, particular consideration should be paid to helping  the youngest groups change course to make up for these losses in order to prevent downward mobility in the long-term,” she said.

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

James Braund / Getty Images

Your boss may be watching what you do online.

The idea of a totalitarian government monitoring your every move is probably still the stuff of fiction, but that doesn't mean your boss doesn't have a pretty good idea of your workday habits.

Experts say an abundance of fast-developing new technology is making it cheaper and easier for employers to read your e-mails, check out what you’ve been looking at on the Internet, track where you go with a company car or cell phone and find out when and where you were at work.

“Your employer can find out anything and everything about your life,” said Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, which advocates for workers on issues including privacy.

Of course, employers have good reason to want to know whether employees are stealing corporate secrets, sending out sexually harassing e-mails or just goofing off on the job. But experts say many companies are still trying to figure out a balance between monitoring wrongdoing and just plain snooping.

“In the information economy we have incredible new ways to gather data, many of which are very novel, very new, and we’re not entirely clear on what the standards are or should be,” said Trevor Hughes, chief executive of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, a trade group whose membership includes big corporations such as Google, Microsoft and American Express.

Hughes said that’s been made even more complicated because the line between work and home increasingly is blurred. For example, many employees might use their personal smart phone to send a work-related e-mail at night, and then use their work computer to send a personal e-mail during the work day.

Employers generally have the right to monitor employee e-mails and other online activity that happens at work, or even on a company cell phone or corporate network, said Lothar Determann, a partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP in Palo Alto, Calif., and author of “Determann’s Field Guide to International Data Privacy Law Compliance.” But they can only do so if they make clear to their employees that workers should have no expectation of privacy.

U.S. laws generally give employers much broader rights to monitor employee activity than in European countries, Determann said. That is raising complications for companies that operate in several countries.

But even in the U.S., Determann said companies risk running into trouble if they overstep their bounds. For example, an employer could use a keystroke tracker to get your password to that personal e-mail account you checked at work, and then use that password to check your account later. But he would recommend against a client doing that because it could violate the rights of the e-mail operator.

Many companies also are grappling with the thorny issue of how much control they have over the work activity people do on their personal cell phone or other device.

“It’s an unsettled area right now,” said Robert Sprague, an associate professor at the University of Wyoming College of Business and an expert on privacy and technology.

Related: Having fewer kids, or none at all, because of the economy?

The idea of asking employees or job candidates for access to personal social media accounts such as Facebook also has caused widespread outcry, and lawmakers in several states have moved to ban such practices.

Employees may be generally aware that their employer could monitor their activities, but Maltby said many people assume that with all that data flying around their individual correspondence won’t be tracked. In reality, he said, people are nosy and anyone from the IT guy to your boss may be tempted to peruse your activities.

To maintain privacy, he recommends sending any personal e-mails or other correspondence from a personal cell phone or device that isn’t connected to your corporate network.

Others say that it’s generally fine to send a few innocuous personal e-mails at work, or check a personal website now and again. But that rant about the CEO that you’re tempted to send your co-worker? Probably not a good idea.

 “If you don’t want your boss to read it, then don’t send the e-mail,” Determann said.