Ever think, “When Mom and Dad were my age, they already had (fill in the blank: the big house/a second home/a large nest egg)”? These days, such comparisons do likely tilt in your parents’ favor.

According to a report by the Pew Research Center, your parents were much better off than you are at the same age. The more significant contributing factors include the drop in real estate values and the fact that younger adults put off marriage, generally the starting point for the biggest wealth-building years.