Invest in real estate
Earning enough to qualify for the top 1% is challenging. But, there are wealth-building strategies you can employ, regardless of your income, to set yourself up for financial success in 2025.
For instance, Bank of America’s 2024 Study of Wealthy Individuals reported that 31% of investors with $3 million in investable assets believe real estate is the “greatest growth opportunity.”
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the top three states for income listed above also have some of the highest home prices in the country.
Residential real estate isn’t the only growth area, however.
Commercial real estate can also offer lucrative investment opportunities — especially when it comes to necessity-based properties, such as grocers. CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate firm, foresees both positive developments and growth for the 2025 commercial market.
Accredited individual investors can invest with First National Realty Partners to access institutional-quality commercial real estate investments without the legwork of finding deals themselves.
The FNRP team has developed relationships with the nation’s largest grocery brands, including Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods. They even provide insights into the best investment properties both on and off-market.
Consider alternative investments
Bank of America’s report found that younger, wealthy people are increasingly looking beyond the traditional stock market for investment opportunities.
Gold is an example of an alternative asset that behaves differently than the stock market and has proven resilient during times of market volatility. Gold might play an important part in making sure your portfolio is protected for 2025, given that next year could bring about trade wars and economic instability.
For the best direct exposure, you can invest in the physical asset through a gold IRA with a company like American Hartford Gold.
This kind of account lets you enjoy the tax advantages of an IRA and the inflation-hedging properties of gold as you grow your nest egg.
With the help of American Hartford Gold — an industry leader in precious metals with a five-star rating from Trustpilot and an A+ from the Better Business Bureau — you can open a gold IRA and help preserve your retirement dreams with an inflation-resistant asset.
Another alternative asset you may consider is art.
Research from Bank of America shows that 83% of high-net-worth millennials and Gen Z either own or are interested in art collections. Interestingly, California and Massachusetts are home to four of the top 10 ‘art buying’ cities in the country.
You certainly don’t need to be among the top 1% to start investing, though. Masterworks is taking on the wealthy at their own game, enabling everyday investors to join in on multimillion-dollar art investments (such as Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso). In just the last few years, those investors realized representative annualized net returns like +17.6%, +17.8% and +21.5% (among assets held 1+ year).
Masterworks has over $1 billion in capital raised across 430+ works collectively invested in by everyday investors. When Masterworks sells a painting — like the 23 it's already sold — investors reap their portion of any profits.
See important Regulation A disclosures at Masterworks.com/cd
Work with a financial advisor
If you are among the top 1% or are working on getting there, you’ll certainly want to make sure your wealth continues to grow throughout 2025 and beyond. The key to making that happen is working with experts.
For instance, 90% of wealthy Americans work with a financial advisor, according to Bank of America.
Finding a financial advisor that suits your specific needs and financial goals is simple with Vanguard.
Vanguard’s hybrid advisory system combines advice from professional advisers and automated portfolio management to make sure your investments are working to achieve your financial goals.
With a minimum portfolio size of $50,000, this service is best for clients who already have a nest egg built and would like to try to grow their wealth with a variety of different investments. All you have to do is set up a consultation with a Vanguard advisor, and they will help you set a tailored plan and stick to it.
