"The headline finding is stark: The vast majority of American households — three out of four — do not have essential wealth," the researchers wrote. Story ContinuesImportantly, essential wealth is just the final destination in a three-step journey. The report also details earlier, more manageable brackets — underscoring the fact that essential wealth is a developing goal, not an ultimatum. While wealth generally increases over a lifetime, the report found that most households never accumulate enough to meet the benchmark. Some investors also choose to diversify a portion of their retirement savings with alternative assets such as precious metals.