Do happier people make more money?

There is a lot of new research on happiness and money with some surprising results. While Americans have become more affluent, their happiness levels have not really increased. In a series of studies by the University of Chicago, the average U.S. Family has become 60% richer in the last thirty years, but they are not significantly happier. In 1960, approximately 42% of Americans surveyed pronounced themselves "very happy."

A similar poll in 1990, found that 43% were "very happy." What seems to matter most for your sense of well-being and your happiness level is how you stack up against your neighbors. People tend to use this yardstick of comparison to evaluate their money and circumstances. Even a millionaire will feel miserable in the company of billionaires.