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Getting Rich in America Depends on a Lot More Than a College Degree

Factors like family background, inheritances and health are playing an increasing role
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With graduation season around the corner, more than a few U.S. families are probably wondering just how much that college degree will be worth.

There's little doubt education is associated with higher income, better financial decision-making and more wealth. However, issues that are harder for an individual to control -- what type of family you come from, whether you get an inheritance, or how healthy you are -- also play a growing role in determining your net worth, according to a new report by researchers William Emmons and Bryan Noeth at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.