On 9/1, the Federal Reserve (Fed) released data showing that U.S. household wealth reached a record 181.6 trillion USD in Q3/2025. This report was released later than usual due to difficulties in data collection during the 43-day U.S. government shutdown last year.

In Q3, the value of household stock portfolios increased by 5.5 trillion USD. Meanwhile, real estate values rose by 300 billion USD. These were the two main reasons for the surge in family wealth.

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Photo: *Reuters*

A strong wave of investment in artificial intelligence (AI)-related stocks helped the S&P 500 index rise 7.8% in Q3/2025. The Nasdaq 100 index, which includes many of the country's largest AI companies, also increased by more than 11%. Wall Street continued its upward trend in Q4 and early 2026, albeit with more modest gains. On 9/1, the S&P 500 index set a new record, reaching 6,966 points.

In the real estate market, U.S. home prices have increased by 75% since President Donald Trump took office. However, the pace of growth has slowed significantly since late last year. Statistics from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) showed that national home prices only rose 1.7% in October compared to the same period the previous year, the lowest in over 13 years.

Nevertheless, U.S. household debt also rose in Q3. Mortgage debt, such as home loans, increased by 3.2% compared to the same period the previous year. Consumer credit debt, including credit cards, auto loans, and university education loans, grew by 2.3%.

Beyond households, U.S. public debt also accelerated in Q3 last year, increasing by 15.5%. This rate was 10 times that of Q2, according to Fed data.

Ha Thu (via Reuters)