Closing the Wealth Gap: Empowering Minority-Owned Businesses to Reach Their Full Potential for Growth and Job Creation, Signe-Mary McKernan, Caroline Ratcliffe, Released November 26, 2013.

“The racial wealth gap grows sharply with age. When people are in their 30s and 40s, whites have about 3.5 times more wealth than people of color. By the time people reach their 60s whites have about 7 times more wealth. Skewed federal subsidies exacerbate wealth disparities and the racial wealth gap. Five suggestions to close the racial wealth gap are: make homeownership tax subsidies more progressive; promote retirement savings through IRAs and expand the Saver’s Credit; reauthorize the Assets for Independence program; increase access to high-quality education; and improve access to micro and small business capital for low-wealth groups.”