Crappy economy devoured 40 percent of family net worth

If you're not feeling as flush as you used to, you're not imagining it. According to a Federal Reserve study, the average American family's net worth plunged from $126,400 in 2007 to a measly $77,300 in 2010 -- a drop of nearly 40 percent. Which means, unless you've made a killing over the last two years, you're probably feeling the pinch. We don't have to tell you that the evil trifecta that contributed to sending bank balances plunging included nose-diving house values, a drop in income levels and dismal unemployment numbers. Rubbing salt in the wound, the top 10 percent of income earners were the only group to see their net worth rise.