By AIMEE PICCHI December 12, 2014 Why Middle-Class Wealth Is Withering If the middle class is truly the backbone of America, the country's spine may be close to breaking. Middle America came out of the Great Recession in a precarious position, sinking into "dissavings" -- when spending is greater than income -- thanks to a nasty combination of stagnant wages and a hit to real estate and investment values, according to a new working paper from New York University economics professor Edward N. Wolff. That's led to a grim outcome, with virtually no change in the country's median wealth between...