by Lyle Daly | March 7, 2019
The Ascent is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from offers on this page. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation.
Image source: Getty Images
There may be no subject more fascinating in the United States than the millionaire. We want to know their schedules, their habits, and just how they obtained their wealth.
While there's no shortage of information out there about the lives of the wealthy, one subject that doesn't get touched on nearly as much is where they keep their money. That's a shame, because it actually provides some of the most valuable lessons the ordinary person can use to build their own wealth.
Fortunately, we've got all the details on where millionaires park their cash. Here's a hint -- it's not in massive million-dollar savings accounts or Scrooge McDuck-style money bins.
Courtesy of Ben Weber at Windfall Data, we can learn exactly where people keep their money depending on their net worth. In the research, people were grouped together in tiers based on whether they had a net worth of five figures, six figures, seven figures, and so on, all the way up to those with a net worth of $1 billion and above.
It then looked at how much of their net worth, on average, people in each group put into different assets, such as:
So, what was the big secret in where millionaires (and billionaires) put their money?
It all comes down to businesses.
At every tier, the portion of their money that people keep in business interests jumps up significantly. It's a small sliver of the wealth of those with a net worth between $10,000 and $99,999, but it doubles for each of the next two tiers, and keeps increasing with every tier.
For the millionaire group, business interests are their third-most valuable asset, with only their primary residences and retirement accounts being worth more. For each group with a net worth of $10 million or more, business interests are the most valuable asset.
You may have already noticed the most important point in where millionaires place their money.
Simply put, they have the bulk of their wealth in assets that can grow and create more wealth for them, such as business interests, retirement accounts, stocks, and mutual funds. They don't commit much wealth to assets that are going to depreciate, such as vehicles, and they also don't park tons of cash in bank accounts.
Here's what you can do to better allocate your wealth:
When you look at how people at different levels of net worth distribute their wealth, you start to see a pattern in what works and what doesn't.
Most of us aren't going to become overnight millionaires, but through smart financial decisions we can make our money grow and steadily increase our own net worth.
Many people are missing out on guaranteed returns as their money languishes in a big bank savings account earning next to no interest. Our picks of the best online savings accounts can earn you more than 12x the national average savings account rate. Click here to uncover the best-in-class picks that landed a spot on our shortlist of the best savings accounts for 2021.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
Copyright © 2018 - 2021 The Ascent. All rights reserved.
By submitting your email address, you consent to us sending you money tips along with products and services that we think might interest you. You can unsubscribe at any time. Please read our Privacy Statement and Terms & Conditions.