WSJ.com - Capital

WSJ.com - Capital: "American families had net worth -- the value of houses, cars, 401(k) plans, stock portfolios and saving accounts minus mortgages and other debts -- of $50 trillion in 2004, according to the Fed. Its estimate is based on surveys of 4,522 families, with special efforts to include the rich.

How much better off than others are the wealthy?

Those in the 90th percentile -- not Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, but those with bigger balance sheets than 90% of American families -- had net worth of $831,600 in 2004.

That's nearly nine times the $93,100 held by the family at the statistical middle. And it's 62 times the net worth of families at the 25th percentile, the ones who don't have much, but have more than the poorest 25%, many of whom have more debts than assets."