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The millionaire next door doesn’t necessarily make headlines. They have probably built their fortune in a mundane and boring way and live an equally understated lifestyle.
These are the ‘stealthy wealthy’ and their habits hold powerful lessons for anyone who’s serious about achieving financial freedom.
Here are the top seven habits you could replicate to boost your financial position or peace of mind.
The stealthy wealthy’s cardinal rule is to conceal their fortune (or at least not flaunt it) so that they can enjoy it in complete privacy. That means no flashy toys or glamorous status symbols that call their wealth to attention. A quietly rich person isn’t likely to buy a Gucci belt or Birkin handbag. In fact, it’s middle-class consumers that account for more than half of all global luxury brand sales, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
That said, the stealthy wealthy may be interested in investment opportunities that have historically only been available to the ultra-wealthy, such as fine art. But that asset class is no longer limited to the elites.
Masterworks has given over one million users the opportunity to invest in pieces from artists including Banksy, Basquiat and Picasso. Masterworks takes care of all of the heavy lifting, from finding and acquiring to storage and sale. All you have to do is pick which pieces you want to invest in via fractional shares, and reap the returns when the piece sells.
From their 23 exits so far, Masterworks investors have realized representative annualized net returns like +17.6%, +17.8% and +21.5% among assets held for longer than one year. To see if you qualify, you can find out more about investing with Masterworks here.
See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd.
Read more: Do you own rental properties in the US? These 6 hacks can help you boost your income and lower your tax burden
Contrary to the stereotype, millionaires and multimillionaires aren’t always driving Aston Martins or Bugattis. In fact, Dave Ramsey’s survey of millionaires across America found that the top three most popular brands were Toyota, Honda and Ford.
Picking a practical and relatively inexpensive car is perhaps a better way to retain your fortune rather than burning it all through the tailpipe of a McLaren F1 sports car.
Another way to keep car expenses affordable is to shop around for the best car insurance rate available. Doing your due diligence and comparing rates can drive down your monthly costs and free up that extra cash for investing.
OfficialCarInsurance.com can help you switch to a more affordable auto insurance option within minutes. After answering a few questions about yourself and your vehicle, you can immediately compare quotes from trusted brands like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO. Rates can start as low as $29 per month.
Finally, keep in mind that you can usually change your insurance policy before the renewal date. Just keep an eye out for any early cancellation fees.
Tax-efficient decision making is how most wealthy people retain and expand their fortune. Although your tax situation might be very different from someone who has a seven- or eight-figure net worth, that doesn’t mean you can afford to neglect tax planning.
Take a page out of the stealthy wealthy playbook and consider hiring an accountant or tax planner to help minimize your liabilities.
Advisor.com is a free service that helps you find a financial advisor near you. They can help co-create a plan to reach your financial goals, based on your tax circumstances and investment goals.
From their database of thousands, you get matched with a pre-screened financial advisor. You can then set up a free, no-obligation consultation to make sure they’re the right fit for you.
On the other hand, if you’re the millionaire next door yourself, you may be looking for a more comprehensive long-term wealth management service like Range.
The expert advisors at Range can help households with an income of $300,000 or more, as well as high-net-worth individuals, develop their big-picture financial planning.
From stock options and tax strategies to real estate and alternative investments, Range integrates it all under one roof. With a transparent, flat annual fee — no hidden costs or percentage-of-assets surprises — you get AI-powered insights and comprehensive guidance designed to start seriously scaling your wealth.
A survey by Northwestern Mutual found that an impressive 84% of wealthy individuals had a financial plan, compared to only 52% for the general public. In other words, rich people are more intentional with their saving and spending.
Start with a budget and update it frequently as you make progress on your financial journey.
You can make starting down that road easier with automated investment platforms like Acorns, which helps you save while you spend.
Every time you make a purchase on your credit or debit card, Acorns automatically rounds it up to the nearest dollar, then puts your spare change into a smart investment portfolio for you.
The best part? When you sign up with a recurring deposit, Acorns provides a $20 bonus investment to kickstart your investment journey.
Another hallmark of the stealthy wealthy is their deep respect for privacy.
By keeping your finances discreet, you not only protect yourself from fraud and financial crimes, but also improve your chances of securing better deals and avoiding tension in personal relationships where you’re assumed to be covering the bill every time, just because “you can afford it.”
Remember the old adage: Money talks, but wealth whispers.
According to the WSJ, the stealthy wealthy are most likely to make their fortunes in relatively overlooked niches of the economy. Think cup-holder manufacturers, commercial carpet cleaning or industrial appliance maintenance companies.
Put simply, most successful entrepreneurs and investors are not chasing the latest hype cycle. Instead, they focus on lucrative, always-on industries with sparse competition.
If you’re trying to build wealth but aren’t interested in starting your own business, then why not invest in those businesses from the sidelines instead?
With Public, a commission-free investing platform, you can invest in a wide range of these types of companies through stocks and ETFs.
Public was built for investors who want to build wealth over time, learn from a community, and trade without any hidden fees. Public is also a great fit for those looking to start with smaller investments, as it offers fractional share investing.
A single source of income, perhaps from your full-time job, is unfortunately rarely sufficient to build wealth these days. To reach the top, you will likely need a diversified pool of multiple income sources.
Consider a side gig to boost your income, and invest in passive income opportunities such as real estate to reach your financial goals faster.
Arrived makes it easy to fit rental properties into your investment portfolio regardless of your income.
Arrived’s easy-to-use platform is backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, and offers SEC-qualified investments such as rental homes and vacation rentals.
Its flexible investment amounts and simplified process allows accredited and non-accredited investors to take advantage of this inflation-hedging asset class. Simply start by browsing a curated selection of homes, vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, choose the number of shares you want to buy.
When it comes to institutional-quality commercial real estate investments, FNRP allows accredited individual investors with a minimum investment of $50,000 access to these opportunities — without the legwork of finding deals themselves.
FNRP has relationships with the nation’s largest essential-needs brands, such as Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods. And since these retailers provide necessities, they tend to still perform well during times of economic volatility and can act as a hedge against inflation.
You can engage with experts, explore available deals and easily make an allocation, all in FNRP’s personalized portal.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.