Whether your financial target is to get to $500,000 or $5 million, MarketWatch has created a seven-day challenge with expert ideas to help you get there faster in 2026. – MarketWatch illustration/iStockphoto
There’s an adage that investing, or building wealth, is simple, but not easy. A lot of it boils down to a handful of well-known principles: live on less than you make; save and invest the difference; start young (or start today); avoid high-interest debt; choose a partner who wants to make financial progress with you; be patient; and let compound growth work for you.
Easier said than done.
The majority of American households are under incredible financial pressure. The median net worth in the U.S. is about $200,000, yet Americans, on average, believe it takes a net worth of $5.3 million to be “financially successful” these days. On one hand, it’s a huge sum of money that is more than most people need to live comfortably. Yet in some markets, it is also how much it realistically takes to feel financially abundant, and to afford making decisions without cost being the primary consideration.
Related: Here’s what it means to be rich in this economy — from your 20s to your 80s
As inequality widens, becoming wealthy won’t be easy for the majority of Americans. Still, there are simple steps anyone can take to give themselves a boost along the way.
Whether your financial target is $500,000 or $5 million, MarketWatch has created a seven-day challenge with expert ideas to help you get there faster in 2026.
We’ll publish one tip a day for the next seven days, but our challenge doesn’t need to be completed over seven consecutive days. In fact, some of the steps will require careful thought and planning. But dedicating just a few days this year to complete these seven exercises can forge a path to a wealthier future. There’s nothing but upside. Let’s go!
To know how much farther you want to go, you must first know where you are. A net worth statement takes your assets (your investments, cash, house and car, for example) and subtracts your liabilities (like your mortgage, car loan, student loans and credit-card debt) to measure your wealth. Plenty of free templates can do this, or you can create your own spreadsheet. It can take a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how complicated your financial situation is.
Reviewing your net worth is a great exercise to do annually to see how things went the last 12 months, and to set reasonable goals for the new year.
If you’ve run the math but don’t know how to interpret your net-worth numbers, put them into context. For instance, some say it takes being in the top 10% to afford a “middle-class wealthy” lifestyle. For people 40 to 44, it means having nearly $1.3 million in wealth (including home equity); for those 50 to 54, that figure is $2.8 million. This handy chart below breaks out different tiers of net worth, from the 25 th percentile to the top 1%, by age. Where do you stand, and where would you like to be?
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Read more: Here’s what it means to be rich in this economy — from your 20s to your 80s