If you turn on the news, scroll social media, or listen too closely to the loudest voices in the room, you could easily believe that the world is falling apart—and that everything used to be better “back then.”

But I want to challenge that story.

Not with blind optimism. Not with wishful thinking. With facts.

Because when you step back from the noise and look at the data, something remarkable appears:

By many of the most important measures of human well-being, this may be the best time in history to be alive.

We Are Safer Than We Think

Let’s start with something basic: safety.

In the 1970s, property crime in the United States was nearly twice as high as it is today. Violent crime followed a similar pattern—rising through the 1970s and 80s, peaking in the early 1990s, and then declining meaningfully over time.

Even today, despite periodic spikes that dominate headlines, overall violent crime rates are lower than what many Americans experienced decades ago, including homicide rates—despite a much larger population.

Crime still exists. But statistically, your odds of being a victim are lower than during many years we now look back on as “the good old days.”

We Live Longer—and Better

In 1970, life expectancy in the United States was about 71 years. Today, it’s about 78 years.

That’s nearly eight additional years of life, on average.

Eight more years of experiences.
Eight more years of relationships.
Eight more years of purpose.

And perhaps the most profound improvement of all—one we rarely think about anymore—is infant mortality.

In 1970, nearly 20 out of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. did not survive their first year. Today, that number is about 5.5 per 1,000.

That’s a reduction of more than 70%.

Millions of families are raising children who statistically would not have survived in earlier generations. That is not abstract progress. That is human progress.

Medicine Has Quietly Changed the Odds

In the 1970s, a heart attack was often a death sentence.

Today, age-adjusted death rates from heart disease have fallen by more than 60% since 1970. Deaths from heart attacks specifically are down nearly 90%.

Cancer survival rates have improved.
Diseases are detected earlier.
Emergency medicine saves lives every day that once would have been lost.

People today routinely survive conditions that would have been fatal just one or two generations ago.

The World Is More Connected—and More Capable

In the 1970s, information moved slowly. Knowledge was locked in libraries, offices, and institutions.

Today, over 5.5 billion people worldwide are connected to the internet. In the U.S., roughly 96% of adults use it.

That means:

• A student can learn advanced skills from anywhere
• A business owner can reach global customers
• A patient can consult a doctor from home
• A family can manage finances, healthcare, and planning with unprecedented transparency

You are carrying more computing power in your pocket than existed in entire buildings 50 years ago.

That power can be misused—but it is still power. Power to learn, connect, create, and solve problems faster than ever before.

Progress Isn’t the Absence of Problems

Let me be clear.

This is not a claim that everything is perfect.
It is not a denial of climate risk, inequality, mental health challenges, or uncertainty.

Progress is not the absence of problems.
Progress is better tools to face them.

And that leads to the most important point of all:

We are not living at the end of history.
We are living in the middle of it.

Every generation inherits a world that is unfinished.

The question is not whether the past felt simpler or the future feels uncertain.
The question is whether we recognize the extraordinary advantages we’ve been given—and choose to use them wisely.

Where This Connects to Your Financial Life

At Carver Financial Services, we believe the purpose of financial planning is not simply to accumulate numbers on a statement.

Technology can build portfolios.
Algorithms can rebalance accounts.
AI can analyze data faster than any human ever could.

But what technology cannot replace is the human work of helping people lead their best lives.

Our role is to help you:

• Gain clarity around what truly matters to you
• Align your wealth with your values, goals, and vision
• Reduce stress and complexity in your financial life
• Navigate life’s transitions with confidence
• Make decisions that support not just financial success—but fulfillment

We call this Personal Vision Planning—because money is a tool, not the destination.

The Opportunity of Our Time

We are safer than before.
We live longer than before.
More children survive.
More knowledge is available.
More people have a chance.

That doesn’t guarantee a great future. But it makes one possible.

And possibility—paired with thoughtful planning and intentional action—is how progress continues.

This may be the best time in history to be alive not because life is easy,
but because never before have so many people had so much capacity to shape what comes next.

Our mission is simple: To help you use that opportunity to live your best life.

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You can contact us at randy.carver@raymondjames.com or (440) 974-0808.

Any opinions are those of Randy Carver and not necessarily those of Raymond James.