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A recent study of Charles Schwab’s modern wealth found that Americans now believe they need to have an average net worth of $ 2.2 million to be considered “rich.”
This is an increase from the magic number of $ 1.9 million in 2021, but still does not reach what the net worth was considered rich in 2018, 2019 and 2020, according to the study. It is clear that as the economic situation changes and Americans’ perceptions of wealth and money have also changed.
While some people may be reluctant to make millions of dollars – and that’s fine – others may find that the closer they get to that number, the more feasible it becomes for them to afford new opportunities in the world. ultimately achieve their lifestyle goals.
However, beyond simply thinking about net worth, it’s important to consider how much savings you need to afford what you think you’ll spend each year retiring – and this article helps illustrate that logic. In context, future retirees who plan to live on $ 50,000 a year will have to save $ 1,250,000 by using the 4% rule to carry them through the rest of their unemployed lives. (Naturally, various variables such as market volatility and one’s cash reserve can affect this saving goal.)
Select wanted to see what it would take to reach that $ 2.2 million figure that Americans consider “rich,” so we calculated how much you’ll need to invest per month for 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years to get there.
Keep in mind that your net worth is defined as the total assets you hold (money you have in bank accounts, investments, pension accounts, etc., as well as the value of all real estate) minus the total liabilities you owe , including student loans, credit card, mortgage, etc.). Once you reach this $ 2.2 million portfolio value, your true net worth will depend more on what your liabilities are.
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Here’s how much to invest to be considered “rich”
To find out how much you need to invest to get $ 2.2 million, we used this investment calculator.
For this example, we assume that you start with $ 0 and earn a moderate average annual return of 7% after adjusting for inflation (the average return on the stock market is historically 10% per year before inflation). Using these numbers, here’s how much money you have to invest each month to reach a $ 2.2 million portfolio value and consider yourself “rich.”
- Invest $ 12,861.61 every month for 10 years to reach $ 2.2 million
- Invest $ 4,334.66 every month for 20 years to reach $ 2.2 million
- Invest $ 1,881.22 every month for 30 years to reach $ 2.2 million
- Invest $ 890.13 every month for 40 years to reach $ 2.2 million
- Invest $ 437.12 every month for 50 years to reach $ 2.2 million
As with any investment calculation, here we see how the earlier you start investing – and thus the more time you spend on your investment for growth – the less money you have to spend each month. Someone who has 50 years to invest can contribute $ 12,424.49 less each month than someone who has only 10 years to invest.
How to start building wealth now
The above calculations may seem like good or bad news, depending on how much time you have to invest your money. Although we wanted to see what it would take to reach the net reference value of $ 2.2 million (again, excluding any debt), it is important to know that everyone can they build wealth no matter when they start – and they don’t have to be rich to do it.
Many investing apps allow consumers to dip their finger in the stock market – part of the stock per share based on the amount of money they want to invest, not the number of shares they want to buy – for just $ 1 . This makes it much more affordable to start investing your money in the stock market and earn a return.
Robinhood is a solid option for those interested in investing their money in small stocks, while apps like Acorns cater to beginners by allowing consumers to invest the spare amount left over from their daily purchases, such as coffee, food and clothing. . Obviously, just investing your reserve amount probably won’t provide a significant amount of cash each month, but it’s a good way to get started. In addition, you can plan to make regular investment contributions and the reserve change to be additional investment money running in the background.
Robin Hood
On Robinhood’s secure site
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Minimum deposit and balance
The minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. No minimum is required to open an account or start an investment
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taxi
Fees may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. Trade without commission; regulatory transaction fees and business charges may apply
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Bonus
Robinhood will add 1 share of free shares to your brokerage account when you link your bank account and fulfill the conditions in your promotion (you will be able to keep the shares or sell them after 2 trading days)
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Investment funds
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Investment options
Stocks, ETFs, options trading, fractions, IPOs, plus certain cryptocurrencies through Robinhood Crypto (depending on where you live)
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Educational resources
Acorns
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Minimum deposit and balance
The minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. You do not need a minimum to open an account, a minimum of $ 5 to start investing
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taxi
Fees may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. Monthly plans include: personal ($ 3 per month) and family ($ 5 per month)
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Bonus
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Investment funds
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Investment options
Diversified ETFs that include more than 7,000 stocks and bonds
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Educational resources
Another option is to work with robo-advisors such as Wealthfront and Betterment to help you determine which investments make the most sense based on personalized factors such as your risk tolerance, time horizon and overall financial goals. The best robo-advisors will also automatically balance your portfolio as you approach the target date for your goals. That way, you don’t have to worry about adjusting the distributions yourself.
Wealth front
On the secure site of Wealthfront
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Minimum deposit and balance
The minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. $ 500 minimum deposit for investment accounts
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taxi
Fees may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. Zero fees for account, transfer, trade or commissions (funds ratios may apply). The annual fee for Wealthfront management tips is 0.25% of your account balance
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Bonus
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Investment funds
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Investment options
Stocks, bonds, ETFs and cash. Additional asset classes in your portfolio include real estate, natural resources and dividend stocks
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Educational resources
Offers free financial planning for college planning, retirement and home purchase
Improvement
On the secure Betterment site
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Minimum deposit and balance
The minimum deposit and balance requirements may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. For better digital investment, a minimum balance of $ 0; Premium investing requires a minimum balance of $ 100,000
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taxi
Fees may vary depending on the investment instrument chosen. For Betterment Digital Investing, 0.25% of your fund’s balance as an annual fee; Premium Investing has a 0.40% annual fee
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Bonus
Up to one year free management service with eligible deposit within 45 days after registration. Applies only to new individual investment accounts with Betterment LLC
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Investment funds
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Investment options
Stocks, bonds, ETFs and cash
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Educational resources
Betterment RetireGuide ™ helps users plan for retirement
Eventually
It is interesting to see what it takes to reach the net worth that Americans consider “rich,” and the $ 2.2 million figure provides a solid benchmark for measuring our future. The main conclusion, however, is that building wealth can be accessible to anyone, no matter what your net worth.
When you start, know the schedule in which you need to invest, how much risk you can take and the amount of money you can deposit. This, plus your expected rate of return, are important factors in how much wealth – or net worth – you can build in your lifetime.
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Editorial note: The opinions, analyzes, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are only those of the Select editors and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise approved by a third party.