Despite a brief pandemic-induced recession, higher inflation and rising borrowing costs since 2020, the wealthy have gotten considerably wealthier. The threshold to be in the top 10% of U.S. households by net worth grew from about $1.3 million to roughly $1.8 million over the last five years, largely due to rising stock and home values, according to a recent Visa analysis of 2024 U.S. Census Bureau survey data. That figure reflects the value of what households own — homes, vehicles, savings, retirement accounts, investments and other assets — minus any debts. In absolute terms, households already in the top 10% by ... (full story)