5 things no one tells you about becoming a millionaire in America — are you ready for them?

For many Americans, becoming a millionaire takes years of steady saving, investing well and making financial decisions that pay off over time. And even for those who do reach that milestone, it doesn’t always mean they feel rich.

Here are the top five things no one tells you about becoming a millionaire in America.

1. The path to a million dollars can be surprisingly ordinary

It’s easy to assume that you can’t be wealthy unless you invest in an underrated startup or make a risky cryptocurrency bet. But in reality, most millionaires simply had high-paying careers and diligently invested money in their company’s 401(k) plans to get to their status, according to a survey by Ramsey Solutions (2).

The survey found that the most common professions of millionaires wasn’t “CEO” or “founder” but engineer, accountant, teacher, manager and attorney.

In other words, you don’t necessarily need a big break or a fancy job to become a millionaire. For many people, it comes down to saving and investing regularly, and putting away what they can as their income grows and expenses allow.

2. It might take longer than you expect

Because saving, investing and the power of compounding are the most common elements for many ordinary millionaires, the journey could take several years, if not decades.

Americans typically achieve this “millionaire status” in their 50s or 60s, according to Empower (3), which means most people should expect to be middle-aged or nearing retirement by the time they achieve this level of financial success.

There are, of course, overnight success stories and young millionaires, but that’s not the typical story.

But you don’t necessarily have to wait until you’re earning a big salary to start building better money habits. Setting aside small amounts regularly can help you grow your savings over time, but that can be tricky if everyday spending keeps getting in the way.

By resisting indulgences, you could limit your chances of overspending and overborrowing, putting you on a clearer path to financial freedom. But even that’s easier said than done. According to a survey conducted by Clever Real Estate, 68% of those surveyed reported having regrets about their spending, with 59% admitting that they knowingly made a purchase they couldn’t afford (4).

If you find it difficult to stop overindulging, you can start by building savings habits into daily spending. With Acorns, you can automatically invest spare change from your everyday purchases into a diversified portfolio of ETFs managed by experts at leading investment firms like Vanguard and BlackRock.

For instance, if you buy a donut for $3.25, Acorns will round up the purchase to $4 and invest the change in a smart investment portfolio. So a $3.25 purchase automatically becomes a 75-cent investment in your future.

Sign up today and get a $20 bonus investment.

3. It’s not all about the house

For many millionaires, the bulk of their fortune is tied up in their primary home.

According to the latest UBS Global Wealth Report (5), there were 23.6 million millionaires in the U.S. in 2025, but according to Henley & Partners (6), there were only 6 million Americans with investable wealth in excess of $1 million, meaning their primary residence was excluded from their net worth.

That gap shows how much a person’s net worth can depend on their home. But tying up most of your wealth in one property also has its risks — and owning a home isn’t the only path toward building wealth. Spreading your money across investments such as stocks, bonds and other assets can help reduce your reliance on any one investment, depending on your goals and how much risk you're comfortable taking.

Real estate is still an option, however, and there are plenty of ways of doing it these days that don’t require a massive pile of cash or even involve buying a property outright.

Arrived, a real estate platform company backed by investors such as Jeff Bezos, helps investors get into SEC-qualified investments in real estate, including rental homes, vacation rentals and diversified funds.

In addition to any property appreciation, Arrived’s properties can help you earn a passive income stream without any of the extra work that comes with being a landlord. No midnight maintenance calls over burst pipes required.

All you have to do is sign up, then you can view a selection of vetted properties and start investing with just $100. That way, you can make sure the platform is right for you.

Once you become an investor with Arrived, you’ll have access to more than 596 properties in 67+ markets. Eligible investors can also take advantage of Arrived’s secondary market if you want to reshuffle your portfolio.

And, for a limited time, investors can get a 1% account match when opening an account and adding $1,000 or more.

More options to diversify your portfolio

If you’re interested in investing outside of the stock market or real estate, private-market investments are another option.

With Willow Wealth, eligible investors can diversify beyond publicly traded stocks and bonds through private-market opportunities spanning real estate, private equity, private credit, art and litigation finance.

Minimum investments start as low as $5,000. You can select individual deals or opt for diversified funds, including funds managed by institutional firms such as Goldman Sachs, Carlyle and StepStone.

More than 500,000 members have invested over $6 billion through Willow and the platforms it has acquired.

Private investments can require long holding periods, carry higher fees and result in losses. See how Willow can put your money to work across a wider range of assets.

4. You probably won’t feel rich

Entering the seven-figure club was probably bragworthy in the 70s or 80s, but in 2026, the label has clearly lost some of its exclusivity.

With over 1,200 Americans joining the millionaire ranks daily, it perhaps comes as no surprise that only about 36% of millionaires considered themselves to be “wealthy,” according to a 2025 Northwestern Mutual survey (7).

Rising living costs and the amount of wealth tied up in homes and retirement accounts can help explain why having a million-dollar net worth doesn’t necessarily translate into feeling financially comfortable.