As Congress debates a long-term path to American economic growth, American households confront their own daunting challenges to economic security and success. While tight budgets, polarized politics and a skeptical public constrain policymakers’ ambitions, Americans have yet to recover from the recession’s losses, and the wealth gap continues to widen. Within this context, CFED offers a new approach to restoring American economic security: empowering Americans to construct their own ladders to success by building savings and assets.