This factor may determine whether you get rich. You don't control it.

Homeownership has long been seen as a cornerstone of the American Dream because it reliably builds wealth. But new research suggests your chances of ever acquiring a home may depend partly on something beyond your control: your parents' wealth. To examine the factors that influence what economists refer to as "wealth mobility," researchers from the U.S. Census Bureau and Carnegie Mellon University analyzed IRS tax records, Census data and property ownership records for 3.4 million families. …