Rejoice: Fed says you're richer this year

The financial crisis may have left you feeling poorer, but the country as a whole is richer than it was two years ago. Americans' wealth increased this spring for the first time in two years, thanks to increases in home values and the stock market, according to the Federal Reserve. But, we're still 19 percent behind the peak reached in the third quarter of 2007.

Net worth in the United States grew by $2 trillion by the end of June 2009, the Associated Press reports. This measure, which represents the difference between assets (e.g., homes, cash and investments) and debts (such as mortgages and credit cards) gained close to four percent from the first quarter of the year. As a result, our country's aggregate net worth hit $53.1 trillion. Of course, we'd all be happier at the fall 2007 level of $65.3 trillion, but the increase at least shows some progress from last year.