$100 trillion

US  Household wealth  topped $100 trillion

Thanks to rising house prices, the net worth of households and nonprofits rose to $100.77 trillion from $99.74 trillion, offsetting the impact of a decline in the stock market. Corporate cash holdings rose to $2.66 trillion from $2.59 trillion.

The gains in the housing market—at a time of an improving jobs market—have put households in a better financial position than they have been for some time. Their net worth to disposable income, at 682.6%, is near the highest level in history, while debt service payments as a percentage of household income are way below bubble-era levels.

The net worth of US households rose above $100 trillion for the first time ever, hitting a new all time high of $100.8 trillion, up $1.0 trillion as a result of an estimated $490 billion increase in real estate values, as well as a $511 billion increase in various stock-market linked financial assets like corporate equities, mutual and pension funds, and deposits as the market soared to new all time highs in the fist quarter.

Total household assets in Q1 rose $1.1 trillion to $116.3 trillion, while at the same time, total liabilities, i.e., household borrowings, rose by only $44 billion from $15.5 trillion to $15.6 trillion, the bulk of which was $10.1 trillion in home mortgages.