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Personal finance headlines have seemed somewhat contradictory in recent years.
Some headlines suggest that the country is adding a thousand new millionaires every single day (1). While others, such as the one from Northwestern Mutual, suggest that 70% of Americans are feeling depressed and anxious because of their personal finances (2).
This mixed messaging could be magnifying your financial anxiety and insecurities. The good news is that a closer look at this data might ease some of these feelings. You may even be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re actually richer than many people who match your demographics.
Here are two ways to measure wealth that can help you track your financial progress against your peers.
When it comes to measuring wealth, homeownership can be pivotal. According to the National Association of Realtors, a typical homeowner in America is roughly 43 times wealthier than a typical renter (3).
To be fair, it’s easy to misinterpret this statistic. It’s much more likely that people who are already wealthy are buying homes because they can afford to own rather than people becoming rich by purchasing a home. Nevertheless, this data is worth keeping an eye on while measuring your personal financial success.
If you’re renter, the bar is significantly lower. The average renter’s net worth was just $10,000, according to NAR (4). So if you have a comfortable five-figure net worth, you’re doing better than your peers. For homeowners, the average net worth is $430,000. So you’ll need to be half-a-millionaire before you’re outperforming other homeowners.
Fortunately, you don’t need a massive downpayment or mortgage to get some exposure to American real estate.
Mogul, a platform that helped democratize the sector, can help anyone add real estate and rental income to their portfolio. It offers fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which means you can own a small piece of iconic properties and lucrative assets passively — without a down payment or pesky tenant calls.
Mogul was built by ex-Goldman Sachs experts, bringing institutional-grade real estate to everyday investors. Every property must clear a high bar: a minimum 12% return even under conservative assumptions.
The numbers speak for themselves — an average annual IRR of 18.8% and cash-on-cash yields in the 10% to 12% range. Demand is intense, with most offerings selling out in under three hours and with typical buy-ins falling between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.
You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties to find the right fit for you. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.
Read More: Robert Kiyosaki warned of a ‘Greater Depression’ — with millions of Americans going poor. Was he right?
It should come as no surprise that people who have had more time to apply the power of compounding are wealthier. This is why it’s probably unfair to compare your net worth with someone significantly younger or older than you.
According to the 2022 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances (5), the younger you are, the lower the benchmark for wealth in your age group. For instance, Americans under the age of 35 have an average net worth of $183,380. The median American this age is worth just $39,040.
Simply put, if you have enough money to buy a mid-range car without an auto loan, you’re wealthier than half of all young Americans.
The bar rises with age. For those between the ages of 45 and 54 (middle age), the average net worth is $971,270, and the median is $246,700. Similarly, for retirees between the ages of 65 and 74, the average net worth is $1,780,720, while the median is $410,000.
In other words, if you retire a millionaire, you’re just on par with the average retiree. You’ll probably need multiple millions to be considered truly wealthy in this cohort.
Regardless of age, you can speed up your progress and get ahead of your peers with the help of a professional co-pilot. Advisor.com can help you match with a qualified tax planner or financial advisor who can examine your budget, portfolio, debts and goals to help you start accumulating more wealth.
Advisor.com vets every advisor on track record, client ratios and regulatory history — and their team only works with fiduciaries, legally bound to put your interests first.
Plug in a few details about your finances and goals, and their AI-powered tool will connect you with a qualified expert tailored to your situation. Not sure if they’re the right fit? Set up a free initial consultation with zero obligation.
Whether you’re approaching retirement while lagging behind your peers, or looking to save up to buy your first home, an experienced professional can help you get there with more confidence.
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CNBC (1); Northwestern Mutual (2); National Association of Realtors (3),(4); U.S. Federal Reserve (5)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
