Upper Class

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Dictionary Says

Definition of 'Upper Class'

A socioeconomic term used to describe individuals who reside above both the working class and middle class of a social hierarchy. Individuals in the upper class have higher levels of disposable income, greater say in the political realm and exert more control over the use of natural resources. While the upper class makes up a small percentage of the overall population, it controls a disproportionately large amount of the overall wealth.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'Upper Class'

From a historical perspective, the upper class was dominated by land-owning nobility and aristocrats. Over the years the term has expanded to include celebrities, politicians, investors and other wealthy people.

While those in the upper class ("the rich") do exert significant control over economic and political developments, most production activities and consumption is done by the working and middle classes.

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'Upper Class'

  • Financial Capitalism Opens Doors To Personal Fortune

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/financial-capitalism.asp
    ... early period of industrialization, there was a large pool of venture capital in
    the hands of the landed upper class just waiting for an investment opportunity. ...

  • Are We Losing The Middle Class?

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/06/middleclass.asp
    ... released by the Brookings Institute think tank in June 2006 highlighted the decline
    of middle class neighborhoods and the increase in upper-class real estate. ...

  • Top 3 Trends Affecting Private Wealth Management

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-careers/08/family-offices-trends.asp
    ... are thriving, with annual growth rates of 4-8%. Many experts have noted that by
    2015-2020, China's upper class will be larger than America's middle class. ...

  • India's Obsession With Gold

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2012/Indias-Obsession-With-Gold-AUY-NG-GTU-AZK0214.aspx
    ... As the country's middle and upper class populations grow, more gold is likely to
    be bought to show off the wealth, both during wedding ceremonies and in day-to ...

  • Don't Ride Coach Just Yet

    http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2009/Dont-Ride-Coach-Just-Yet-COH-M-SKS-JWN-TJX1022.aspx
    ... Management views it as an outlet to regain some of the lost "wanna be upper
    class" shoppers it lost throughout the recession. In ...

  • 2010: The Best Time To Die? - Investopedia.com

    http://financialedge.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1110/2010-The-Best-Time-to-Die.aspx
    ... The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) provided much-needed
    relief to both middle- and upper-class Americans who were trying to hold on ...

  • Older Parents Face New Financial Challenges

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/09/kids-later-older-parents.asp
    ... High school and college have been fairly standard for the middle and upper class
    since WWII, but graduate school is increasingly becoming a requirement in many ...

  • Top 4 Things That Determine A Home's Value

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortgages-real-estate/08/housing-appreciation.asp
    ... Most middle- and upper-class, single-family-home neighborhoods already limit new
    construction when developers purchase most of the available land to construct ...

  • What Is Fiscal Policy?

    http://www.investopedia.com/articles/04/051904.asp
    ... In times of economic decline and rising taxation, it is this same group that
    may have to pay more taxes than the wealthier upper class. ...

  • What was the South Seas bubble?

    http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/09/south-seas-bubble.asp
    ... Unfortunately, the shares were largely held for the long-term by government officials
    and the upper class, so the public could only watch with envy as the rich ...

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