<P> Wealth distribution in the United States by net worth (2007). The net wealth of many people in the lowest 20% is negative because of debt . By 2014 the wealth gap deepened . </P> <P> Wealth, a set of economic reserves or assets, presents a source of security providing a measure of a household's ability to meet emergencies, absorb economic shocks, or provide the means to live comfortably . Wealth reflects intergenerational transitions as well as accumulation of income and savings . </P> <P> Income, age, marital status, family size, religion, occupation, and education are all predictors for wealth attainment . </P> <P> The wealth gap, like income inequality, is very large in the United States . There exists a racial wealth gap due in part to income disparities and differences in achievement resulting from institutional discrimination . According to Thomas Shapiro, differences in savings (due to different rates of incomes), inheritance factors, and discrimination in the housing market lead to the racial wealth gap . Shapiro claims that savings increase with increasing income, but African Americans cannot participate in this, because they make significantly less than Americans of European descent (whites). Additionally, rates of inheritance dramatically differ between African Americans and Americans of European descent . The amount a person inherits, either during a lifetime or after death, can create different starting points between two different individuals or families . These different starting points also factor into housing, education, and employment discrimination . A third reason Shapiro offers for the racial wealth gap are the various discriminations African Americans must face, like redlining and higher interest rates in the housing market . These types of discrimination feed into the other reasons why African Americans end up having different starting points and therefore fewer assets . </P>

What is socio economic status of the family