One Study of the Distribution of Wealth Indicates That the Bottom

Multiple Choice

One study of the distribution of wealth indicates that the bottom 40 percent of households hold 1 percent or less of total marketable wealth in the United States and the top 1 percent owns close to 40 percent of it. An economist might observe that these data do not include the value of human capital: the value of labor and skills embodied in a person. If we were to include human capital, which of the following people's net worth would change the most?

A) Debra, who recently received a $25,000 bonus from her job that she has spent on an around-the-world trip
B) Carol, who has just bought an apartment for $500,000 using savings and bank loans
C) Betty, who has just retired but expects to live well because her retirement account is worth $1,000,000
D) Alice, who has just completed her education as a medical doctor and now has student loans of $100,000