What Is A High-Net-Worth Individual? | Bankrate (2024)

FAQs

What Is A High-Net-Worth Individual? | Bankrate? ›

Typically, a high-net-worth individual has assets of between $1 million and $5 million. Those with multi-million dollar fortunes, generally assets of at least $30 million, are sometimes identified as ultra-HNWI (UHNWI). The term “net worth” factors in liquid or investable assets.

High-net-worth individual (HNWI) references individuals who maintain liquid assets at or above a certain threshold. Typically, these individuals are defined as holding financial assets (excluding their primary residence) with a value over US$1 million.

With that in mind, a net worth of $604,900 would put you in the upper 25% of American households and having $1 million or more should make you firmly a member of the upper class. Of course, it's important to remember that net worth is calculated by adding up your assets and then subtracting your liabilities.

Determining what your net worth should be at any age can be a bit tricky, and it depends on your income. Say you're 30 years old and your income is $50,000 per year. Your net worth should be $150,000, according to this formula. A $25,000 salary at age 30 would mean an ideal net worth of $75,000.

Currently, the financial thresholds to qualify as a high net worth individual are to have received income of £100,000 in the previous financial year, or to have £250,000 worth of net assets throughout the previous financial year.

In the U.S., it may take you $5.81 million to be in the top 1%, but it takes a minimum net worth of $30 million to be considered among the ultra-high net worth crowd. As of the end of 2023, this ultra-high net worth population is on the rise, reaching 626,000 globally, up from just over 600,000 a year earlier.

Top 2% wealth: The top 2% of Americans have a net worth of about $2.472 million, aligning closely with the surveyed perception of wealth. Top 5% wealth: The next tier, the top 5%, has a net worth of around $1.03 million. Top 10% wealth: The top 10% of the population has a net worth of approximately $854,900.

According to Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey, Americans perceive an average net worth of $2.2 million as wealthy​​​​. Knight Frank's research indicates that a net worth of $4.4 million is required to be in the top 1% in America, a figure much higher than in countries like Japan, the U.K. and Australia​​.

The most recent data from the Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances took a snapshot of the American public at the end of 2022. At that point, a net worth of $3,795,000 was enough to put you in the top 5% of all American households. If that number has your head spinning, there are some important details you should consider.

Although there is no precise definition of how wealthy someone must be to fit into this category, high net worth is generally considered to include liquid assets of $1 million.

What percentage of retirees have $3 million dollars? ›

Specifically, those with over $1 million in retirement accounts are in the top 3% of retirees. The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) estimates that 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million, and a mere 0.1% have $5 million or more, based on data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.

Household wealth or net worth is the value of assets owned by every member of the household minus their debt. The terms are used interchangeably in this report. Assets include owned homes, vehicles, financial accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds and mutual funds, and more.

Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.

A high-net-worth individual, or HNWI, might be defined differently among certain financial institutions. But in all cases, a high-net-worth individual is someone with a large amount of wealth. Typically, a high-net-worth individual has assets of between $1 million and $5 million.

Relatively few embrace working with multiple advisors (13%) or any individual advisor managing other advisors (quarterback approach, 5%). those with $1 million to $5 million in investable, non-retirement assets, and ultra-high-net-worth are investors with over $5 million in investable assets.

A high net worth individual (HNWI) is someone with $1 million or more in investable assets, including cash or cash equivalents. HNWIs may rely on specialized financial services like wealth managers or private banks for money management, estate planning, investment guidance, and tax management.

Someone who has $1 million in liquid assets, for instance, is usually considered to be a high net worth (HNW) individual. You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth.

Types of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs)

An investor with less than $1 million but more than $100,000 is considered to be a sub-HNWI. The upper end of HNWI is around $5 million, at which point the client is referred to as a very-HNWI. More than $30 million in wealth classifies a person as an ultra-HNWI.

Average Net Worth by Age

The average net worth of someone younger than 35 years old is $183,500, as of 2022. From there, average net worth steadily rises within each age bracket. Between 35 to 44, the average net worth is $549,600, while between 45 and 54, that number increases to $975,800.

About 16 million American families—just over 12%—have wealth exceeding $1 million, up from 9.8 million families in 2019. Nearly eight million families are multimillionaires, i.e., their wealth exceeds $2 million, up from 4.7 million.