Focus on these 3 ‘magic numbers’ to become a millionaire in America — and only on these numbers. How do you stack up?

Here’s a closer look at these crucial wealth-building blocks.

Net worth

You can’t make intentional progress if you don’t know where you currently sit. That’s why the most basic number you should be tracking is your net worth.

Calculating your net worth sounds simple, but for many Americans, it’s not. About 51% say they don’t know how to do it. The numbers are even higher for women (61%), while 73% of Gen X’ers say they don’t currently track their net worth, according to Credit Karma (1). That means many people have no clear picture of their financial standing.

Fortunately, you don’t need sophisticated tools or AI to track your net worth. A simple spreadsheet that lists all of your assets and liabilities and calculates the difference between the two should suffice.

But, while knowing your net worth is important, this is only the first step. Growing it is what truly counts.

One way to build long-term wealth is through real estate — an asset that can generate passive income, appreciate over time and offer powerful tax advantages. When people talk about real estate investing, they think of home ownership most of the time, meaning residential real estate.

But there are other ways to invest in real estate without committing to a mortgage or setting down roots.

You can tap into this market by investing in shares of vacation homes or rental properties through Arrived.

Backed by world-class investors, including Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of vacation and rental properties, earning a passive income stream without the extra work that comes with being a landlord of your own rental property.

To get started, simply browse through their selection of vetted properties, each picked for their potential appreciation and income generation. Once you choose a property, you can start investing with as little as $100.

Another option is mogul, a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.

Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide for you. Simply put, you can invest in institutional quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.

Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10 to 12% annually. Offerings often sell out in under three hours, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.

Every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platform’s viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property — not the platform. Blockchain-based fractionalization adds a layer of safety, ensuring a permanent, verifiable record of each stake.

Getting started is a quick and easy process. You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest like a mogul in just a few clicks.

Investing wisely in real estate and other assets is important, but it’s only part of the equation for hitting your magic number.

To truly accelerate your net worth, you need expert guidance across all areas of your wealth.

But hiring an advisor can be a lifelong commitment, which might make or break your retirement. That’s why finding reliable advisors is crucial.

That’s where Advisor.com can come in. The platform connects you with an expert near you for free.

Advisor.com does the heavy lifting for you, vetting advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. Plus, their network comprises fiduciaries, who are legally required to act in your best interests.

Just enter a few details about your finances and goals, and Advisor.com’s AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert best suited for your needs based on your unique financial goals and preferences.

Finding the right advisor isn’t always easy — there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. That’s why Advisor.com lets you set up a free initial consultation, with no obligation to hire, to see if they’re the right fit for you.

Once you’ve got the right financial advisor in your corner, the next step is getting a clear picture of where your money’s actually going. That starts with the basics — budgeting and tracking your spending.

Savings Rate

If you’re trying to reach your magic number, tracking the amount of money you or your family saves every year is an essential task. If you can monitor and raise your savings rate high enough to meet your savings goal, you can make your journey to millionaire status a lot shorter.

But here’s the reality check: Most American families are falling short. As of May 2026, the personal savings rate in the U.S. was just 3.0%, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve (2). At that rate, a family earning $100,000 annually would save only $3,000 per year — and it would take 333 years to reach $1 million in savings.

But, by contrast, if the same family raised their annual savings rate to 20%, it would take them just 50 years to get to that target.

It’s no coincidence that many millionaires — and even billionaires — are famously frugal. They understand that tracking and increasing your savings rate is one of the most effective ways to accelerate wealth creation.

To raise your savings rate, you need to keep a close eye on your expenses. One area that often flies under the radar is home and car insurance, which can quietly eat away at your monthly budget.

U.S. homeowners' insurers have hiked premium rates by double digits over the past two years. If you’re not paying attention, that could be a major hit to your saving power.

By using a comparison platform like Insurify, you can instantly view quotes from top-rated providers to ensure you aren't paying a hidden ‘loyalty tax’ to your current insurer.

Just answer a few basic questions, and Insurify will show you the most affordable deals in as little as 3 minutes.

Not only is the process 100% free, but you could also save up to 15% by bundling your car and home insurance.

Car insurance rates rose an average of 7.56% in 2025, but are expected to go up less than 1% this year according to ValuePenguin (3). Like with home insurance, shopping around can lead to substantial savings.

Rate of return

The final ingredient in the wealth creation recipe is the rate of return on your savings.

Where you place your savings is just as important as how much you save. If you’re stacking $20,000 a year under a mattress, you will take decades to get to millionaire status. By the time you get there, inflation would have drastically reduced the value of a million dollars anyway. Instead, if you invest in robust growth stocks, real estate or fixed income opportunities, you could get to the seven-figure club a lot faster.

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, for example, has delivered an annualized return of 15.03% since its inception in 2010 (4). If you assume a similar return going forward and invest $1,000 a month, you could reach the $1 million target in less than 20 years.

Gold can also be a powerful asset for speeding up your journey to millionaire status. In times of economic uncertainty — whether due to trade wars, inflation or market instability — investors often turn to gold as a hedge and a safe haven.

The price of gold has jumped by over 20% since 2025, and currently sits above $4,000 USD per ounce (5).