5 moves to make once you’ve saved $100,000
Mar 31, 2026
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There’s something powerful about seeing $100,000 in your account.
Legendary investor Charlie Munger once pointed out that the first $100,000 is the hardest.
Six figures can feel safe, solid and impressive. But here’s the reality: what feels like a lot of money can erode surprisingly quickly without a clear plan. Inflation, taxes, and market swings can quietly chip away at it over time.
Once you move from saving to wealth-building, your decisions start to compound just as much as your money.
Here are 5 smart moves to consider making after hitting your first $100,000.
Start with fiduciary advice
Reaching six figures changes the game.
At this level, the biggest opportunities — and the biggest mistakes — often come from how you structure your portfolio, not just which investments you pick.
That’s why many investors begin by working with a fiduciary financial advisor. Unlike some financial professionals, fiduciaries are legally required to act in your best interest. Their job is to help you build a strategy around your goals, not sell you a specific product.
A good advisor can help you:
- 1 Build a long-term asset allocation plan
- 2 Optimize taxes and retirement accounts
- 3 Diversify across multiple asset classes
- 4 Identify opportunities that fit your risk tolerance
Platforms like Advisor.com make it easy to find this type of guidance. After answering a few quick questions, the platform can match you with a vetted advisor in minutes.
You can schedule a free introductory call to discuss your goals and see whether their approach fits your situation.
Consider institutional real estate opportunities
Once your portfolio reaches six figures, some investors start exploring opportunities that were previously out of reach, particularly private real estate investments.
Institutional real estate has long been a cornerstone of wealth-building for high-net-worth investors because it can offer income potential and long-term appreciation tied to tangible assets like apartment buildings or commercial properties.
For accredited investors who want direct exposure, platforms like Lightstone DIRECT provide access to real estate deals sourced by The Lightstone Group, one of the country’s largest private real estate companies.
Founded in 1986, Lightstone manages roughly $12 billion in assets, including more than 25,000 multifamily units.
Through Lightstone DIRECT, investors can participate in single-asset multifamily deals and invest alongside Lightstone itself, which commits at least 20% of its own capital to each deal.
Unlike many crowdfunding platforms, the model removes intermediaries such as brokers and middlemen, which can improve transparency and potentially reduce fees.
Institutional investment opportunities typically come with higher minimum investments. In Lightstone DIRECT’s case, the minimum investment is $100,000, meaning it’s generally best suited for accredited investors who have capital specifically earmarked for private real estate.
For investors who meet those requirements, the platform offers a way to participate directly in large-scale developments alongside an experienced sponsor with its own capital at stake.
Diversify with broad property funds
Not every investor wants to allocate large amounts into individual deals. Another approach is to gain exposure through diversified real estate funds.
Funds can spread investments across multiple properties and markets, helping reduce the risk of relying on a single project or city.
For instance, the Fundrise Flagship Fund¹ is a $1 billion private real estate fund that lets you invest in an expertly crafted strategy without needing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
You don’t need to be an accredited investor, and you can get started with as little as $10.
Industrial
215 Interchange
Las Vegas, NV
Build-for-rent
Pine Ridge
Fountain Inn, SC
Build-for-rent
Omnia
Richmond Hill, GA
These are a few examples of properties powering the Fundrise Flagship Fund. For a full list of the Fundrise Flagship Fund's portfolio properties, see the Flagship Fund website.
With 4,700+ single-family homes and 2,500+ residential units owned by the Fundrise Flagship Fund, you get exposure to institutional-style scale and diversification.
After you place your first investment, the Fundrise Flagship Fund will work to find and add new assets to your portfolio over time and send you transparent updates along the way.
It only takes a few minutes to sign up now and become a real estate investor today.
Consider assets that behave differently than stocks
Some investors allocate small portions of their portfolio to alternative assets that tend to move independently from traditional markets.
Gold is a common example. For centuries it has served as a store of value, and many financial professionals suggest holding around 5 to 10% of a portfolio in gold as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty.
This chart shows the price of gold over the past five years. If you want to see whether opening a precious metals IRA is the right investment to diversify your portfolio, download a free info guide.
For a high-net-worth investor, the goal isn't just to buy gold, it’s to hold it efficiently. If you already have a significant portion of your wealth in a traditional IRA or 401(k), you are likely heavily exposed to the fluctuations of the stock market.
By diversifying a portion of your existing retirement holdings into a Gold IRA — which allows yout to gold physical bars or coins — you can combine the protective benefits of gold with the tax perks you already enjoy within an IRA.
Priority Gold can help you transition a portion of your portfolio into physical assets.
They offer a 100% free rollover process for existing IRAs, plus free shipping and storage for up to five years. For those making a qualifying purchase, you could also receive up to $10,000 in free silver.
To learn more about how Priority Gold can help shield your hard-earned savings from inflation or economic volatility, download their free 2026 gold investor bundle.
Art is another alternative asset that has historically been concentrated among ultra-wealthy collectors.
Today, platforms like Masterworks allow investors to buy fractional shares of blue-chip artworks by artists like Picasso, Basquiat, Monet, and Banksy.
Masterworks has sold 25 artworks so far, yielding net annualized returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8%.*
Because these assets are driven by collector demand and scarcity rather than stock market movements, high-net-worth investors may use them as part of a broader diversification strategy.
Protect the wealth you’re building
Finally, investors with growing portfolios often look beyond investments and focus on protecting their financial foundation.
Unexpected events — illness, disability, or death — can disrupt long-term financial plans if adequate protection isn’t in place.
That’s why many financial plans include life insurance as a way to protect dependents, replace income, or provide liquidity for estate planning.
Term life policies can provide substantial coverage for relatively low cost, helping ensure that the wealth you’re building today continues to support your family in the future.
Today, online insurers like Ethos offer fast, competitive quotes for term coverage tailored to your specific needs.
The application can take as little as 10 minutes. Most applicants won’t need blood work or an in-person exam — just answer a few basic health and lifestyle questions.
Using real-time data, Ethos can often deliver an instant quote and, in many cases, same-day approval. You may be able to get up to $2 million in coverage, starting at just $2 per day.
Phil is a writer at Moneywise, bringing a strong background in public relations, financial communications and copywriting. Educated in Cambridge, U.K., he has created content for several blue-chip companies, combining clarity with strategic insight.
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