Income gains no longer build wealth
Wednesday 27th May, 2026
A new NBER study finds in the US that higher pay often doesn’t convert to wealth or homeownership anymore—family assets and transfers now predict wealth far more than earnings, and places like California lock out buyers despite higher incomes. This gives Wise a chance to talk about how fair, low‑cost cross-border money tools and multi‑currency accounts help families support relatives, move savings more efficiently, and navigate housing costs—especially for UK and European customers sending or receiving help internationally.
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Why have we flagged this?
The study links income-to-wealth disconnect and geographic housing barriers to consumer pessimism—topics where Wise can provide customer data on remittances, savings flows and cross-border asset holding trends to explain how people preserve or transfer wealth internationally.
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