400 American families have $1.37 trillion. What could that buy?

(Economic Policy Institute)

With the 400 richest households in the country holding $1.37 trillion in wealth—an amount that's just about unimaginable to most of us—United for a Fair Economy offers, for perspective, 11 things that $1.37 trillion could pay for. Among them:

• The richest 400 households can pay off every student loan for every single student in the entire United States. No more paying for an education, so that you can get a good job so that you can... well, pay off your education.
• The richest 400 could pay your rent, and the rent of every single renter in the entire United States for three years.
• The richest 400 could pay the mortgages of every house in the whole country for 14 full months. [...]
• The richest 400 households can afford to triple the number of teachers in the United States, then give every single one a $30,000 raise. Teachers are being laid off everywhere, their salaries are being cut, and they are suffering. Teacher-to-student ratios in schools are abysmal. But what can we do about it when so much wealth is in the pockets of so few families?

One thing the 400 wealthiest families can't do, though, is pay more taxes. We know this, because Republican politicians keep telling us how outrageous and harmful that would be.

(h/t Tula Connell)