For generations, federal policies have helped Americans build assets. Millions of individuals and households have taken advantage of these policies to plan for the future, buy homes, prepare for retirement, send their children to college, and weather unexpected financial storms. Today – through a diverse array of initiatives—the federal government spends billions of dollars to foster asset-building. Lawmakers of various political stripes have helped craft policies that encourage Americans to build assets. Yet, for all the analyses of the federal budget, there has never been a comprehensive look at these policies in total. Now, for the first time, the Corporation for Enterprise Development has analyzed spending and tax policy to determine how much American asset-building initiatives cost, where the money goes, and who benefits.