The standard HNWI scale includes people with liquid assets ranging from $1 million to $5 million. You're considered a very-high-net-worth individual if you have liquid assets between $5 million and $30 million, and an ultra-high-net-worth individual if you have liquid assets topping $30 million.
What Do Banks Classify as High-Net-Worth? Banks typically classify individuals as high-net-worth based on their liquid assets, setting a threshold that qualifies them for specialized financial services. Generally, to pass this elite bar, you must have liquid assets ranging from $1 million to $5 million.
What is considered high net worth? A person with a high net worth is known as a HNWI (“high net worth individual”). U.S. adults we surveyed gave a wide range of responses for what they'd consider a HNWI; the median average landed at $400,000.
The top 10% of earners have an average net worth of $2.65 million. Even if you're squeaking into the upper class (the 80-90% range), you're looking at about $793,000. Moving down to the middle class, things get a bit more varied. The upper-middle class folks have an average net worth of around $300,800.
Probably 1 in every 20 families have a net worth exceeding $3 Million, but most people's net worth is their homes, cars, boats, and only 10% is in savings, so you would typically have to have a net worth of $30 million, which is 1 in every 1000 families.
According to estimates based on the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, a mere 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts. The number of those with $2 million or more is even smaller, falling somewhere between this 3.2% and the 0.1% who have $5 million or more saved.
According to data based on estimates from the Federal Reserve, having a net worth of $4 million places you in the top 3% of American households. That's an elite group, for sure. Leigh Baldwin & Co. Advisory Services reports about 4,473,836 U.S. households have amassed $4 million or more in wealth.
Your net worth is what you own minus what you owe. It's the total value of all your assets—including your house, cars, investments and cash—minus your liabilities (things like credit card debt, student loans, and what you still owe on your mortgage).
What Is an Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individual (UHNWI)? Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) are people with a net worth of at least $30 million. This category is composed of the wealthiest people in the world. They control a tremendous amount of global wealth.
JP Morgan
J.P. Morgan's Private Bank caters to ultra-high net worth individuals and families with a minimum of $10 million in investable assets.
Mass affluent individuals, comprising a significant portion of the population, possess substantial liquid assets ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, with an annual household income above $75,000. On the other hand, HNWIs have a net worth of over $1 million.
The most commonly quoted figure for qualification as a high-net-worth individual is at least $1 million in liquid financial assets, excluding personal assets such as a primary residence. Investors with less than $1 million but more than $100,000 in liquid assets are considered sub-HNWIs.
Do you include a 401(k) in a net worth calculation? All of your retirement accounts are included as assets in your net worth calculation. That includes 401(k)s, IRAs and taxable savings accounts.
Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.5 million to feel wealthy, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey, which surveyed 1,000 Americans ages 21 to 75 in March 2024.
The poll also found that among those who have been saving for retirement, 6.7% have saved between $10,000 and $49,999, 12.6% have saved between $50,000 and $99,999, 12% have saved between $100,000 and $199,999, 9.9% have saved between $200,000 and $299,999 and 16.5% have saved $300,000 or more.
If you plan on living modestly, $2 million might be enough to retire at 60. However, for those with higher expenses or dependents, it may not be sufficient. Working with a financial advisor to create a personalized retirement plan is critical.
What is a good net worth for my age? People in their 20s and 30s should target net worth of $100,000 to $300,000. A net worth of $1 million or more should be the goal in your 40s and beyond. A seven-figure net worth is usually necessary to ensure a comfortable retirement.
According to Kiplinger, by 2025, entering the top 2% of America's wealth will require a net worth of approximately $2.7 million, marking the threshold for elite economic status.
Other sources define the upper-middle class as anyone making a lot of money but that hasn't crossed the threshold to become truly wealthy. These individuals often have a net worth of at least $500,000 to $2 million.
The Top 1% by Net Worth
When it comes to net worth, the threshold is even higher. To be part of the top 1% in the U.S., a household's net worth needs to be at least $13.6 million. This measure includes everything you own – homes, investments, savings – minus debts.
The current state of Americans' 401(k) balances highlights significant disparities across age groups: Ages 21 to 34: 19.6% have less than $25,000 saved, while 32.91% report balances between $50,001 and $100,000. Only 10.76% have saved $100,01 to $500,000, and none have surpassed $500,000.
The same study also reveals that Americans feel that being wealthy in the U.S. means having an average of $2.5 million, an increase on $2.2 million from 2023 and 2022. Baby boomers believe this figure should be slightly higher at $2.8 million, but Gen Z and Millennials believe they could feel wealthy at a lower figure.