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No matter how much you earn, there is always a feeling that there are people out there earning more and living a better life. This is especially true for middle and upper-middle-class individuals, who believe they may one day be close enough to finally afford a life that allows for less stress.
In the case of one Redditor posting in r/MiddleClassFinance, there appears to be a bit of naivete going around about just how many “rich” people truly exist. Making a salary of around $150,000, this Redditor thinks they are pretty comfortable, but sees boats and beach homes all over coastal cities, which makes them ask just how many rich people exist?
Are There Lots of Rich People?
In the Redditor’s defense, it’s okay to be blissfully unaware of other people’s financial situation, but the number of millionaires in America isn’t exactly a big secret. However, in their view, earning $150,000 and living in middle America makes them feel pretty comfortable. They can save for retirement, comfortably afford a mortgage, and avoid incurring a multitude of other debts.
With the wife not working, there is a sense of “we’ve made it,” at least until they go and visit coastal cities. The last time the Redditor went, there was some head-scratching about whether there are just tons of wealthy people. For some reason, the Redditor thinks only a few rich people exist, which is where a bit of the naivety comes in, but that’s okay as other people’s net worth isn’t top of mind for everyone.
How Many Millionaires
According to a CNBC report, approximately 23.8 million people in the United States had a net worth of at least $1 million. Unsurprisingly, the United States leads the world in millionaires, having added 379,000 new millionaires alone.
It’s for this reason that it shouldn’t come as a surprise for the Redditor to learn that coastal cities are full of beach homes and boats. There is a lot of money to go around, and it should come as no surprise that these “rich” people, in the Redditor’s own words, are flexing their wealth with nice homes and boats.
Considering that CNBC’s numbers make it so that 1 out of every 15 people in the country is a millionaire, there really shouldn’t be any surprises about how much wealth truly exists in this country. Whether the money is earned or inherited is largely irrelevant, as the level of millionaires wouldn’t change either way.
What Can This Redditor Do?
To be honest, this Redditor should focus on enjoying the lifestyle they have and remember that there are still billions of people in the world who don’t have millions of dollars. While having a net worth of over a million dollars is humbling, it’s not the end-all, be-all of success. The Redditor also needs to take stock of their own level of comfort, and with the wife not working, they are clearly doing well on one salary. True wealth isn’t always money, but the lifestyle you live and the people you surround yourself with.
This cliche aside, if the Redditor wants to create more wealth, there are a few key considerations they should take into account. First and foremost, they should take stock of their retirement account and consider investments in ETFs that may help grow their wealth.
SPY is a great option for the Redditor, with a YTD return of 16.61%. You get all the upside with tech stocks, but enough diversity to protect the Redditor’s downside through investments in financial services, healthcare, and energy stocks. If the Redditor wants to invest in something that will create wealth for retirement, SPY is a great choice.
The same applies to VOO, another ETF that offers a year-to-date return of 16.64% and a 5-year return of 86.26%, which can significantly contribute to generating wealth for retirement. How much worth the Redditor can generate will be based on how much they can contribute every month. This doesn’t mean the couple will ever be “own a boat” rich, but there is no reason why they can’t enjoy a retirement without financial worry.
