Re: The 1%
i have never heard a reference to the 2%... that's new.
the top 1% depends on where you live. from a look of the chart it appears that most years (well, after i turned 26 or so) i have been in the top 1%. But i don't think it's even close to being a top 1% in a high cost area versus being in the 1% in a low cost district. i don't feel too wealthy. perhaps not middle class but definitely not wealthy.
a smart thing to do is make your money in a high cost district and save as much as you can and then retire/move to a low cost district.