• 如今美国人认为，要跻身富裕阶层，个人净资产需达到230万美元的平均水平。这一数字较2021年增长21%，从侧面反映出通货膨胀与物价飙升如何改变大众对财富的认知。尽管不同世代对富裕的定义各异，但多数人认同：财富不仅关乎金钱，更关乎安全感、幸福感与生活品质。
“如果我有一百万美元……我就富有了，”裸体淑女合唱团（Barenaked Ladies）在1988年的热门歌曲中这样唱道。
在当时，一百万美元感觉是一笔巨款。但随着通货膨胀和关税导致几乎所有东西都变得更贵，这笔钱已显得微不足道。事实上，根据嘉信理财（Charles Schwab）的一份报告，美国人现在认为平均需要230万美元才能被视为富裕。
这家金融服务公司于4月24日至5月23日期间对2200名21岁至75岁的成年人进行了调查，因此收集了不同世代的意见。对于被视为“财务上宽裕”所需的金额，平均答案为83.9万美元。
尽管报告中的230万美元较去年《现代财富调查》的250万美元略有下降，但仍比2021年的190万美元高出21%。
受访者还表示，实现财富积累的门槛似乎在提高，63%的人认为与去年相比，如今需要更多钱才能算富裕，他们提到了通货膨胀、经济恶化以及税收增加的影响。
财务咨询公司Solomon Financial创始人兼首席执行官布拉德·克拉克（Brad Clark）表示，这些感受与他从客户那里听到的情况基本吻合。他告诉《财富》，若将所有资产计算在内，美国有大量百万富翁，但这通常包括他们的住房，这意味着他们的可投资资产通常不到一百万美元。
“由于如此多的美国中产阶级被视为百万富翁，普通人认为230万美元才算富裕是合乎情理的，因为这个数字可能看起来遥不可及，”克拉克说。
但专家表示，被视为富裕并不一定意味着在所有生活选择上都奢华无度。
230万美元这个数字“对每个人而言并非奢侈，而是安全感。它意味着想要拥有房子、安稳退休、拥有家庭和属于自己的时间，”金村伦敦与怀特律师事务所（Kimura London & White）的律师兼合伙人威廉·“比尔”·伦敦（William “Bill” London）告诉《财富》。他经常处理高净值家庭和个人的离婚及遗产案件。“富足不在于过度，而在于减少焦虑。”
不同世代对富裕的定义
嘉信理财的调查显示，与其他世代相比，Z世代倾向于为富裕和财务宽裕设定较低的门槛——分别为170万美元和32.9万美元。与此同时，千禧一代和X世代认为需要210万美元才算富裕，而婴儿潮一代则认为需要280万美元。
这可能与不同世代如何定义财富有关。伦敦说，婴儿潮一代等较早的世代更常从安全感的角度定义财富，注重房产、养老金和可传承的资产。他补充说，另一方面，年轻世代更常考虑体验、无债一身轻和生活方式选择。
“我的年轻客户中，更多人更关心喘息空间和时间，而不是大房子或昂贵的资产，”伦敦说。“他们对财富的定义更关乎生活方式，而非获取。”
但也可能是因为，由于相对较高的抵押贷款利率和房价，年轻世代更难获得住房等大额资产。
“千禧一代和Z世代对拥有住房的前景感到悲观是有道理的，这历来是美国人积累财富最常见的方式，”丹佛大学（University of Denver）经济学系副教授兼系主任马库斯·施耐德（Markus Schneider）告诉《财富》。“千禧一代和Z世代可能比同龄时的婴儿潮一代对世界感到更不安全，这背后有很多原因，也可能影响他们对自己财富的感受。”
尽管各世代之间存在差异，但专家一致认为，感到富裕需要的不仅仅是金钱——这在嘉信理财的报告中也有所体现。一些最受欢迎的个人财富定义包括幸福、身体健康、心理健康、人际关系质量、成就、自由时间多少和物质财富。
“你不必费力寻找就能发现，研究表明超级富豪常常感到抑郁。如果你仅根据金钱来定义财富，那么当你达到那个数字时，你很可能会感到失望，”克拉克说。“真正的财富是能够利用你的资产来腾出时间，惠及你周围的人。最幸福的人往往是那些有着更崇高人生目标的人。”（*）
译者：中慧言-王芳
审校：汪皓
• 如今美国人认为，要跻身富裕阶层，个人净资产需达到230万美元的平均水平。这一数字较2021年增长21%，从侧面反映出通货膨胀与物价飙升如何改变大众对财富的认知。尽管不同世代对富裕的定义各异，但多数人认同：财富不仅关乎金钱，更关乎安全感、幸福感与生活品质。
“如果我有一百万美元……我就富有了，”裸体淑女合唱团（Barenaked Ladies）在1988年的热门歌曲中这样唱道。
在当时，一百万美元感觉是一笔巨款。但随着通货膨胀和关税导致几乎所有东西都变得更贵，这笔钱已显得微不足道。事实上，根据嘉信理财（Charles Schwab）的一份报告，美国人现在认为平均需要230万美元才能被视为富裕。
这家金融服务公司于4月24日至5月23日期间对2200名21岁至75岁的成年人进行了调查，因此收集了不同世代的意见。对于被视为“财务上宽裕”所需的金额，平均答案为83.9万美元。
尽管报告中的230万美元较去年《现代财富调查》的250万美元略有下降，但仍比2021年的190万美元高出21%。
受访者还表示，实现财富积累的门槛似乎在提高，63%的人认为与去年相比，如今需要更多钱才能算富裕，他们提到了通货膨胀、经济恶化以及税收增加的影响。
财务咨询公司Solomon Financial创始人兼首席执行官布拉德·克拉克（Brad Clark）表示，这些感受与他从客户那里听到的情况基本吻合。他告诉《财富》，若将所有资产计算在内，美国有大量百万富翁，但这通常包括他们的住房，这意味着他们的可投资资产通常不到一百万美元。
“由于如此多的美国中产阶级被视为百万富翁，普通人认为230万美元才算富裕是合乎情理的，因为这个数字可能看起来遥不可及，”克拉克说。
但专家表示，被视为富裕并不一定意味着在所有生活选择上都奢华无度。
230万美元这个数字“对每个人而言并非奢侈，而是安全感。它意味着想要拥有房子、安稳退休、拥有家庭和属于自己的时间，”金村伦敦与怀特律师事务所（Kimura London & White）的律师兼合伙人威廉·“比尔”·伦敦（William “Bill” London）告诉《财富》。他经常处理高净值家庭和个人的离婚及遗产案件。“富足不在于过度，而在于减少焦虑。”
不同世代对富裕的定义
嘉信理财的调查显示，与其他世代相比，Z世代倾向于为富裕和财务宽裕设定较低的门槛——分别为170万美元和32.9万美元。与此同时，千禧一代和X世代认为需要210万美元才算富裕，而婴儿潮一代则认为需要280万美元。
这可能与不同世代如何定义财富有关。伦敦说，婴儿潮一代等较早的世代更常从安全感的角度定义财富，注重房产、养老金和可传承的资产。他补充说，另一方面，年轻世代更常考虑体验、无债一身轻和生活方式选择。
“我的年轻客户中，更多人更关心喘息空间和时间，而不是大房子或昂贵的资产，”伦敦说。“他们对财富的定义更关乎生活方式，而非获取。”
但也可能是因为，由于相对较高的抵押贷款利率和房价，年轻世代更难获得住房等大额资产。
“千禧一代和Z世代对拥有住房的前景感到悲观是有道理的，这历来是美国人积累财富最常见的方式，”丹佛大学（University of Denver）经济学系副教授兼系主任马库斯·施耐德（Markus Schneider）告诉《财富》。“千禧一代和Z世代可能比同龄时的婴儿潮一代对世界感到更不安全，这背后有很多原因，也可能影响他们对自己财富的感受。”
尽管各世代之间存在差异，但专家一致认为，感到富裕需要的不仅仅是金钱——这在嘉信理财的报告中也有所体现。一些最受欢迎的个人财富定义包括幸福、身体健康、心理健康、人际关系质量、成就、自由时间多少和物质财富。
“你不必费力寻找就能发现，研究表明超级富豪常常感到抑郁。如果你仅根据金钱来定义财富，那么当你达到那个数字时，你很可能会感到失望，”克拉克说。“真正的财富是能够利用你的资产来腾出时间，惠及你周围的人。最幸福的人往往是那些有着更崇高人生目标的人。”（*）
译者：中慧言-王芳
审校：汪皓
• Americans now believe it takes an average of $2.3 million to be considered wealthy. That’s a 21% rise since 2021, reflecting the way inflation and soaring costs have changed perceptions of wealth. While definitions of wealth vary by generation, most agree it’s not just about the money but also about security, well-being, and quality of life.
“If I had a million dollars … I’d be rich,” the Barenaked Ladies sang in their hit 1988 song.
At the time, a million dollars felt like a lot. But as inflation and tariffs have made essentially everything more expensive, that amount of money doesn’t feel like that much at all. In fact, Americans now think it takes an average of $2.3 million to be considered wealthy, according to a Charles Schwab report.
The financial services firm surveyed 2,200 adults between the ages of 21 to 75 from April 24 to May 23, so a variety of generations offered their input. The average response for what it takes to be considered “financially comfortable” was $839,000.
While the reported $2.3 million was a slight drop from last year’s Modern Wealth Survey at $2.5 million, it’s still 21% higher than the 2021 figure of $1.9 million.
Respondents also reported the bar to achieve monetary wealth feels as if it’s increasing, and 63% said it feels like it takes more money to be wealthy today compared with last year, citing the impacts of inflation, a worsening economy, and higher taxes.
Brad Clark, founder and CEO of financial advisory firm Solomon Financial, said these sentiments are relatively reflective of what he hears from his clients. There are a large number of millionaires in the U.S. when you factor in all assets, he told Fortune, but this typically includes their home, meaning their investable assets are usually less than $1 million.
“With so many middle-class Americans being considered millionaires, it stands to reason that the average individual would consider $2.3 million to be wealthy, as it may seem out of reach,” Clark said.
But experts said being considered wealthy doesn’t necessarily equate being opulent in all life choices.
The $2.3 million figure is “not luxury for everyone, but security. It’s wanting to have a house, retire well, have family, and have one’s time,” William “Bill” London, a lawyer and partner at Kimura London & White who routinely handles high-net-worth families and individuals in divorces and estate cases, told Fortune. “Affluence is not about excess, but about reducing anxiety.”
What it means to be wealthy for different generations
The Charles Schwab survey showed when compared with other generations, Gen Z tends to set lower thresholds for what it takes to be wealthy and financially comfortable—$1.7 million and $329,000, respectively. Meanwhile, millennials and Gen Xers say it takes $2.1 million to be wealthy, and $2.8 million for baby boomers.
That may have to do with how exactly different generations define wealth. Earlier generations like baby boomers more frequently frame wealth in terms of security, London said, with a focus on property, pension, and assets that get passed down. Younger generations, on the other hand, more frequently consider experiences, freedom from debt, and lifestyle decisions, he added.
“More of my younger clients are more concerned about breathing space and time than they are about a big house or pricey assets,” London said. “Their definition of wealth is more about lifestyle than about acquisition.”
But it could also be the fact younger generations have a harder time acquiring large assets like a home owing to comparatively high mortgage rates and home prices.
“Millennials and Gen Z are justifiably pessimistic about the prospects of homeownership, which historically was the most common way for Americans to build wealth,” Markus Schneider, associate professor and chair of the economics department at University of Denver, told Fortune. “There are lots of reasons why millennials and Gen Z may feel less secure about the world than the boomers did when they were the same age, and that may also impact how they feel about their wealth.”
Despite the differences among generations, experts agree it takes more than money to feel wealthy—and it shows in the Charles Schwab report. Some of the most popular personal definitions of wealth include happiness, physical health, mental health, quality of relationships, accomplishments, amount of free time, and material possessions.
“You don’t have to look too far to find a study that shows how depressed ultrawealthy people often are. If you are defining wealth solely based on dollars, you likely will be disappointed when you achieve the number,” Clark said. “True wealth is being able to use your assets to free up your time to benefit those around you. The happiest people tend to be those with a greater purpose in life.”