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☆ The average American's net worth is at an all-time high. Here's how it breaks down by generation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This was more than double the next-largest increase in net worth since 1989, when the Fed began the survey. Median net worth — which measures household assets like houses and vehicles, minus debts like mortgages and student loans — surged to $192,000 when accounting for inflation. While this group, comprised of younger millennials and Gen Zers, has a much smaller net worth than any other age group, median net worth grew from $16,100 to $39,000 during the three-year period. So-called DINKs, or couples with "double income, no kids," also saw huge net worth increases, according to the Fed's survey. Americans in the 55 to 64 age group saw median net worth gains of 48%, while those between the ages of 65 and 74 had a 33% rise in median net worth.

Persons: —, millennials, Gen Zers, Mark Zandi, Zandi Organizations: Service, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Fed, CNBC

But the income gains were largest among the highest-earning families, and fastest among white families, with income at the median actually registering small declines for both Hispanic and Black families, the Fed found in its latest Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted every three years. Median net worth rose sharply for all ethnic and income groups, the survey showed, though the lowest-earning 20% of households fared the worst, with a 2% decline on average over the period versus double-digit increases for all other income groups. The survey showed other stark contrasts. Still, Black households had the lowest median net worth at about $45,000, 27% below the next lowest, Hispanics, at about $62,000. By contrast, median household net worth for white families was $285,000 and for Asians - measured on their own for the first time in this year's survey - was $536,000.

Persons: Ann Saphir, Dan Burns, Chizu Nomiyama, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Federal, Consumer Finances, Thomson

☆ Household Net Worth Surged After the Pandemic Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Sarah Chaney Cambon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Households’ inflation-adjusted median net worth, or wealth, climbed 37% from 2019 to 2022, the survey says. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesU.S. families’ wealth surged in the years after Covid-19 struck, with widespread gains across rich and poor households. Households’ inflation-adjusted median net worth, or wealth, climbed 37% from 2019 to 2022, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances released Wednesday. That was the largest three-year increase since the survey began in 1989.

Persons: Justin Sullivan Organizations: Getty, Federal Reserve’s Survey, Consumer

☆ U.S. income inequality rose in 3 years through 2022, Fed data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man sleeps on chairs, in between subway platforms, at the 34th street and Broadway station in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 18 (Reuters) - American families on average saw large gains in income and wealth from 2019 to 2022, a period marked by the severe disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and massive government spending in response, and measures of financial fragility fell, a Federal Reserve survey published Wednesday showed. But the income gains were largest among the highest earning families, and fastest among white families, with income at the median actually registering small declines for both Hispanic and Black families, the Fed found in its latest Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted every three years. Median net worth rose sharply for all ethnic and income groups, the survey showed, though the lowest-earning 20% of households fared the worst, with a 2% decline on average over the period versus double-digit increases for all other income groups. Reporting by Ann Saphir and Dan Burns; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Ann Saphir, Dan Burns, Chizu Organizations: Broadway, REUTERS, Federal, Consumer Finances, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S

American families saw the largest jump in their wealth on record between 2019 and 2022, according to Federal Reserve data released on Wednesday, as rising stock indexes, climbing home prices and repeated rounds of government stimulus left people’s finances healthier. At the same time, median family income increased by 3 percent between 2018 and 2021 after subtracting out price increases. While income gains were most pronounced for the affluent, the data showed clearly that Americans made nearly across-the-board financial progress in the three years that include the pandemic. But the Fed report, which is released every three years, is considered the gold standard in data about the financial circumstances of households. It offers the most comprehensive snapshot of everything from savings to stock ownership across racial, wealth and age groups.

Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed’s Survey, Consumer Finances

☆ Americans’ net worth surged by a record 37% from 2019-2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Real median net worth swelled by 37% in 2022 from the pre-pandemic 2019, according to the Fed’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances, a triennial survey that’s been conducted since 1989 to comprehensively measure income, net worth, credit use, debt and other financial outcomes for American families. The 37% rise in net worth, which was more than double the next-largest upswing on record, was largely fueled by asset growth — specifically home values and stock market gains, Fed researchers said. From 2019 to 2022, the homeownership rate increased to 66.1% from 64.9% three years earlier; however, median net housing values (home value minus home-secured debt) mushroomed by 45%. Three years earlier, at the tail end of the largest economic expansion in US history, net housing values increased 13%. The median home was worth more than 4.6 times the median family income, according to the report.

Persons: that’s, ’ Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Federal Reserve, Consumer Finances Locations: Minneapolis

☆ Receiving an inheritance? Here's how experts say to handle any windfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Inheritances come in three primary forms: cash, real estate and investments. How to handle a cash inheritanceCash is the easiest asset to handle, as long as you're not receiving a boatload of it. How to handle inheriting real estateUnless your parents lived in a palace, you're unlikely to run into the inheritance tax limit on a real estate inheritance either. But remember: Real estate often comes with upkeep costs, says Patel. "People underestimate the expense in real estate, so you should be aware of that prior to making the decision."

Persons: it's, windfalls, Grandpa Winston's, Inheritances, Clay Ernst, Cash, Pratik Patel, We're, Patel, you'll, —, Ernst Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Edelman, BMO Family Office Locations: United States

☆ How this 77-year-old widow lost $661,000 in a common tech scam: 'I realized I had been defrauded of everything'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Older adults, many of whom have saved their entire careers for retirement, can have the most to lose. The Covid pandemic was a disproportionate threat to older adults, keeping Americans indoors and quickly pushing them online. Outcomes hinge on a complex web of federal and state rules that govern banking and elder financial fraud. Such "heightened procedures" to protect older adults are part of the bank's duty of care relative to older customers, the lawsuit said. Scammers had her wire funds from her PNC bank account to an account at the now-defunct Signature Bank in New York.

Persons: Marjorie Bloom, she'd, Bloom, Roth, Ester, Ester Bloom, Rebecca Keithley, —, they'd, I'm, Kathy Stokes, Keithley, General Merrick Garland, she'll, Marjorie Bloom Bloom, trekked, Mount, Kriangkrai, I've, There's, Sergio Flores, scammers —, Carla Sanchez, Adams, Sanchez, Banks, Marve Ann Alaimo, Porter Wright Morris, Arthur, Alaimo, Cryptocurrency, Scammers, scammers, it's, Patrick Wyman, Wyman, Al Drago Organizations: PNC Bank, Finance, CNBC, Federal Bureau of Investigation, PNC, FBI, Social, Department of Justice's, Vanguard Group, Federal, Consumer Finances, AARP, Microsoft, Department of Energy, Guaranty Corporation, U.S, North Dakota ., Everest Base, Social Security, North Bethesda Camera, PNC Bank —, District of Columbia, Bloomberg, Getty, National Consumer Law, Signature Bank, Asset Unit Locations: Chevy Chase , Maryland, U.S, Vietnam, Mount Everest, North Dakota, liquidating, Nepal, Marjorie Bloom Maryland, District, —, Maryland, PNC, New York, Cayman Islands, Washington ,

☆ US debt rises to $33 trillion as government shutdown looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —As the US national debt passes $33 trillion and a government shutdown looms, Wall Street feels defensive. What’s happening: The gross national debt has grown at an alarming pace since then — by $1 trillion in the last three months alone. Political finger pointing around what caused the accelerated debt accrual, meanwhile, has left the government at an impasse around the budget. The recent increase in interest rates has already made it much more expensive for the government to pay back what it owes. That would leave the door open for another rate increase, which could come when the following meeting concludes, on November 1.

Persons: Fitch, ”, Michael Peterson, Peter G, Peterson, Biden, Gary Schlossberg, Jennifer Timmerman, Gregory Daco, Bryan Mena, Jerome Powell, Instacart, Jordan Valinsky Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, AAA, AA, GOP, UAW, Wells, Investment Institute, Fed, Federal, Financial, Walmart Locations: New York, —, Amazon

☆ 52% of Hispanic and Latina women investors are more confident about their money than 5 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | In Kamaronmcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Still, there are a number of financial disparities between Hispanic and Latino Americans and their white peers, especially Latina women. Hispanic women earn a median annual salary of $39,511, compared with a median of $55,330 among white women and $61,740 for white men, according to Labor Department data. But Latina women are moving in the right direction: 52% of Hispanic and Latina investors say they feel more knowledgeable about their investments and retirement planning than they did five years ago according to J.P. Morgan Wealth Management's 2023 Diverse Investor Study. That number is around 81% for Hispanic and Latina investors, the survey found. What sets Latina investors apart

Persons: Morgan, Veronica Navarro, Navarro, that's Organizations: Labor Department, Consumer Finances, Morgan Wealth Advisors, CNBC Locations: United States, Latina, J.P

☆ Who Profits After Natural Disasters Like Hurricanes and Wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Anthony Dimauro | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

After Hurricane Michael struck Florida in 2018, home sales rose significantly, allowing disaster investors to reap the rewards. This venture has the potential to be even more rewarding given the increasing frequency of natural disasters in the US. But federal disaster relief is painfully slow to respond and often doesn't cover most of the costs. And while moratoriums on damaged land sales aren't a long-term, legally tenable solution, there are ways state officials might be able to deter disaster investors. As the threat of natural disasters increases, so will disaster profiteers.

Persons: Josh Green, Ian, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane, Joe Raedle, Hurricane Maria, Congress —, Hurricane Sandy, it's, Anthony DiMauro Organizations: Nashville Metro Council, FEMA, Hurricane, Centers for Environmental, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Emergency Managment Agency, Small Business Administration, Urban Institute, Office, Congress, of Housing, Urban, Bloomberg, Newsweek, L.A Locations: Hawaii, Maui, Hawaii's, Tennessee, Nashville, Florida, Wilsey, New Orleans, California, Puerto Rico, Lahaina, New York

☆ US inflation means families are spending $709 more per month than two years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —US inflation has had a snowballing effect on family budgets. The typical American household spent $709 more in July than they did two years ago to buy the same goods and services, according to Moody’s Analytics. That figure underscores the cumulative impact high inflation has had on consumer finances — even as price growth has cooled considerably in recent months. Most of that increase in spending is driven by housing costs, which have surged, Zandi told CNN in an email on Friday. Inflation-adjusted earnings are stuck in 2019Even though prices have soared, real earnings, which adjust for inflation, are stuck at late 2019 levels.

Persons: Mark Zandi, Zandi, ” Zandi Organizations: New, New York CNN, Moody’s, Twitter, CNN, Federal, ” Bank of America Locations: New York

☆ Here's why the restart of student loan payments won't end up dragging down the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The upcoming restart of student loan payments shouldn't drag down the economy, according to Ned Davis Research. About 46 million holders of $1.77 trillion in student loan debt are expected to resume payments in October for the first time since March 2020. Don't expect the upcoming restart of student loan payments to drag down the US economy, according to Ned Davis Research. Student loan payments are expected to restart in October for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. And excess consumer savings could more than cover the upcoming resumption of student loan payments, according to NDR.

Persons: Ned Davis, Dimitrova Organizations: Ned Davis Research, NDR, Federal Reserve, Dimitrova

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoNEW YORK, July 11 (Reuters) - Wall Street banks are expected to report higher profits for the second quarter as rising interest payments offset a downturn in dealmaking. Results for investment banking behemoths will also weaken, with EPS forecast to drop almost 59% at Goldman Sachs (GS.N). That offsets the doldrums in investment banking, where revenues have been depressed by rising interest rates and economic uncertainty. Reuters GraphicsBanking executives have also lowered expectations for the second quarter after mergers, acquisitions and debt offerings plunged in recent months. "We see higher credit risk ahead for lower to middle class families with higher credit card debt that cannot keep pace with higher living costs," Leon added.

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley's, David Konrad, Keefe, Goldman, Stephen Biggar, Wells, Morgan Stanley, Betsy Graseck, Kenneth Leon, Leon, Konrad, Nupur Anand, Saeed Azhar, Niket, Lananh Nguyen, Marguerita Choy, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Bank of America, REUTERS, JPMorgan, . Bank of America's, Citigroup, Universal, Argus Research, JPMorgan Chase, Reuters Graphics Banking, Federal Reserve, CFRA Research, Investors, Thomson Locations: Washington, Wells, Refinitiv, Wells Fargo, U.S, New York, Bengaluru

☆ Americans say you need $2.2 million to be rich, according to a new survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

You need to have $2.2 million to be wealthy, according to a Charles Schwab survey of 1,000 Americans. Net worth was the highest for people who at the time were aged between 65 and 74 years. Elon Musk, the world's richest person, has an estimated net worth of $230 billion, per the Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. According to the index, 199 people – Charles Schwab himself included – have an estimated net worth of $10 billion or more. Time is more important than money, the majority of respondents to the Charles Schwab survey said.

Persons: Charles Schwab, boomers, —, –, Elon Musk Organizations: Service, Logica Research, Consumer Finances

☆ The rich often misjudge the potency of their retirement savings, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Thirty-two percent of high-income households are "not worried enough" about their retirement risk, a larger share than the 26% of low- and middle-income earners. The Center for Retirement Research uses the survey data to construct a National Retirement Risk Index. The index models retirement preparedness according to a range of assets like Social Security, pensions, home equity and employer-sponsored retirement plans, such as a 401(k). Anqi Chen assistant director of savings research, Center for Retirement Research at Boston CollegeIn 2019, 47% of American households were at risk of not being able to maintain their standard of living in retirement, according to the index. Why the rich are more likely to underestimate riskWestend61 | Westend61 | Getty ImagesNineteen percent of U.S. households correctly identify as being at risk of falling short in retirement, according to the center's report.

Persons: Anqi Chen, Chen, they're, David Blanchett, Louis Organizations: Getty, Center for Retirement Research, Boston College, Finance, GOP, Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer Finances, Retirement Research, Social Security, for Retirement Research, Westend61, Prudential Financial, Federal Reserve Bank of St, Center for Locations: U.S, PGIM

☆ What Costco’s Baskets Reveal About Consumer Finances
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-costcos-baskets-reveal-about-consumer-finances-69c3ebdd

☆ A bright spot in the economy is at risk as 30 million Americans face student loan payments for the first time since the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

More than 43 million Americans together owe $1.6 trillion in student loans. That additional load could weigh on consumer spending, and eventually increase delinquencies on other payments like credit cards and personal loans, strategists said. "We view the resumption of student loan debt payments as an incremental headwind for borrowers and consumer finance companies," BofA said. This, in other words, means the odds of the hotly-anticipated recession are about to go up as consumers divert cash back to student loan payments. Do you have student loans?

☆ Student loan payments are set to resume. Here's a potential winning play for investors, BofA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Federal student loan debt repayments are expected to resume later this year – and one winning stock could emerge from the fallout, according to Bank of America. Payments on federal student loans have been on hold since 2020 as part of pandemic relief measures. The Supreme Court is weighing President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, and repayments on federal student loans are expected to resume 60 days after the court makes its decision. But SoFi Technologies could benefit from the resumption of loan payments as borrowers try to refinance their federal student loans, Bhatia said. Refinancing may make sense if the original federal loans have a higher rate than what's available through a private lender.

☆ The stunning strength of the US consumer is at risk as 43 million borrowers are set to resume student loan payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The strength of the US consumer could weaken later this year when student loan payments are restarted, according to Bank of America. Student loan repayments are expected to restart in September or October of this year. However, this strength could weaken considerably later this year when student loan payments are restarted, according to a Tuesday note from Bank of America. But Bank of America said with student loan payments set to resume in September or October of this year, approximately 30 million Americans will pay $200 to $400 per month. "We view the resumption of student loan debt payments as an incremental headwind for borrowers and consumer finance companies.

☆ Economists and policymakers were fretting about a wage-price spiral. Not any more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The experts were worried about a so-called wage-price spiral. Businesses' revenues "have risen faster than costs, and so margins have room to absorb rising labor costs." "It's not that a wage-price spiral couldn't happen, but it's low on the list of concerns versus the factors we know are problematic," she said. A key mechanism that would fuel a wage-price spiral, workers' bargaining power, has been weakened because unions have less power than in the 1970s, Makszin added. "But if you let interest rates go down against inflation and in effect weaken, you have an inflation spiral.

☆ Savings account interest rates just hit a 15-year high, but fewer Americans are benefitting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Most people said the main reasons for not switching to a high-yield savings account were because they preferred their local branch or were comfortable at their current bank. 49% have less in savings, or none, compared to 2022 Americans, overall, are saving less. Nearly half, or 49%, of adults have less savings or no savings compared to a year ago, according to a separate Bankrate survey from February. More than one-third also now have more credit card debt than emergency savings, which is the highest on record. In 2022, 4.5% of households had no checking or savings account, according to the FDIC's latest survey.

☆ The racial retirement savings gap remains wide – How these state IRA programs are working toward equity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Indeed, about 64% of Hispanic workers, 53% of Black workers and 45% of Asian American workers have no access to a workplace retirement plan, according to AARP. State-facilitated individual retirement account savings programs have stepped in to attempt to close that racial savings gap. As of the end of January, there were more than $735 million in assets in these state-facilitated retirement savings programs, the center found. How it worksRather than competing against large corporate retirement plans, state-facilitated retirement savings programs turn their focus toward an underserved corner of the market: small businesses. Most of these state programs require businesses to either offer a workplace retirement plan or to help automatically enroll their workers into the state's program.

This is where having an adequate life insurance policy can make all the difference. Even if you're only interested in a cheap funeral life insurance policy, the price is inevitably lower when you buy early. When I asked Gura about life insurance in the early days after death, he said, "Whole life and universal life insurance used in planning is very, very impactful. For example, let's look at a modest $300,000 whole life insurance policy. Even if you're not ready to have the discussion about end-of-life arrangements, life insurance is also made for the living.

His counterpart at Bank of America Corp (BAC.N), Brian Moynihan, cited resilient consumer finances and spending as positive signs. At a separate event, Bank of America's CEO reiterated what he has been saying for months - that consumer spending remains robust and is underpinning the economy. JOB CUTSDespite some easing concern about an economic slowdown, the bank chiefs said they were managing headcount to constrain costs. It aims to have a workforce of about 213,000 to 214,000 in the next three to four months, Moynihan said, down from 216,823 at the end of 2022. While consumer spending remains healthy, credit card delinquencies are increasing, and growth in Wells Fargo's commercial bank is moderating, he said.

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