
In developed societies, about two-thirds of adult citizens have investments in the stock market. Most people hold listed shares through unit trusts, mutual funds, ETFs, or retirement products. A smaller percentage hold equities directly, meaning they purchase individual companies in a portfolio, like Vestact customers.
According to a recent Gallup survey, the bottom 50% of households in the US by wealth now own $540 billion in equities. That aggregate value is up a lot since 2010, thanks to strong stock market appreciation. So, the bottom half is making progress.
That sounds good, and it is, but consider that the wealthiest 1% hold 50% of stocks, worth $25.6 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.
Recent research confirms that the richer you are, the happier you feel, and the more options you'll have in life, and there's no upper limit. The upper crust is the place to be, that's for sure.
I asked ChatGPT how rich you need to be to make it into the top 1% in the US, and it's $11.6 million. We have 10 clients who have more than that with us already. I'd like to see that number increase in the years to come. Thank you for your attention to this matter.