Between 2005 and 2010, American households lost a whopping one third of their accumulated assets in the form of lower savings and investment holdings, lost property values, and reduced spending power.
Low-income families (and especially those of color) are increasingly precluded from making basic investments in themselves and their families. Many have lost their homes. They are unable to pay for the additional education and training that would expand their earnings and savings potential. They cannot pay for the childcare and transportation needed to get and keep a job. And most lack access to capital that could help them start a new business.