Income / Wealth distribution of this Forum's regulars

[Anonymous]

I feel like the regulars in this forum are significantly more wealthy than the already wealthy DCUM population. Here's my best guess:

HHI of Money and Finances:
25th Percentile:$120k
50th Percentile:$300k
75th Percentile:$500k
90th Percentile:$2m
99th Percentile: $20 M

Net worth of Money and Finances
25th Percentile:$500 k
50th Percentile:$2 M
75th Percentile:$5 M
90th Percentile:$10 M
99th Percentile: $100 M

What do you think? Am I way off?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I think you're way off.

Most people here say they have HHI of $250K and have $20M at 40.*

I think your HHI are too high and your NW is too low.


*I don't make the rules, I'm just reporting what's being said. Whether that's true that two govt employees can amass $20M in their 40s because they drive old cars and eschew guac is up to the forum to decide. But, based on my reading here, the NW reporting has skewed way up in last 2 years.

[Anonymous]

There is no way for you to know, because some people post repeatedly. I am in an unusual situation in which my income is low and my net worth is high. No family wealth, just picking the right stock and keeping it over decades. I have posted before, but I'm sure that I am in a minuscule minority. Most of my friends and neighbors have high incomes but comparatively little net worth, because they don't have family wealth and are not the sort of handpick their stocks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no way for you to know, because some people post repeatedly. I am in an unusual situation in which my income is low and my net worth is high. No family wealth, just picking the right stock and keeping it over decades. I have posted before, but I'm sure that I am in a minuscule minority. Most of my friends and neighbors have high incomes but comparatively little net worth, because they don't have family wealth and are not the sort of handpick their stocks.

* Most people post repeatedly on this thread. My hunch is it’s the same 50 or so people who prefer the anonymity here vs say Reddit or similar forums (Apple stock lady, Palantir SWE son man, $8M by late 30s SF couple, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way for you to know, because some people post repeatedly. I am in an unusual situation in which my income is low and my net worth is high. No family wealth, just picking the right stock and keeping it over decades. I have posted before, but I'm sure that I am in a minuscule minority. Most of my friends and neighbors have high incomes but comparatively little net worth, because they don't have family wealth and are not the sort of handpick their stocks.

* Most people post repeatedly on this thread. My hunch is it’s the same 50 or so people who prefer the anonymity here vs say Reddit or similar forums (Apple stock lady, Palantir SWE son man, $8M by late 30s SF couple, etc).

My take as a regular here. You start to recognize the regulars (including the regular trolls.) At least the regulars who post. (I think plenty of people are here to get information as finances get on their radar, but aren't posting.)

-I think there are maybe 2 to 3 posters in the 20M+ category. Apple Lady, Self-employed Guy and I think a real estate guy.
-I think there is a fairly large (and I don't mean even 50 regulars) who are in the 8-12 range, maybe some big law people that are up to 15M. (I miss BigLaw guy who was so detailed and helpful! He/she is probably up to 10-12 now.)
-I think the largest group of regulars here are between 2M and 4M.
-With a lot who might ask an occasional question that are between nothing saved and 1M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the regulars in this forum are significantly more wealthy than the already wealthy DCUM population. Here's my best guess:

HHI of Money and Finances:
25th Percentile:$120k
50th Percentile:$300k
75th Percentile:$500k
90th Percentile:$2m
99th Percentile: $20 M

Net worth of Money and Finances
25th Percentile:$500 k
50th Percentile:$2 M
75th Percentile:$5 M
90th Percentile:$10 M
99th Percentile: $100 M

What do you think? Am I way off?

Given that DC is a high cost of living area and is a mix of Government and private sector I would say that statistically speaking you are spot on for both income and net worth. Feds/military and low level contractor professional staff make up the bottom half and professionals and lobbyists/politicians make up the upper half.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way for you to know, because some people post repeatedly. I am in an unusual situation in which my income is low and my net worth is high. No family wealth, just picking the right stock and keeping it over decades. I have posted before, but I'm sure that I am in a minuscule minority. Most of my friends and neighbors have high incomes but comparatively little net worth, because they don't have family wealth and are not the sort of handpick their stocks.

* Most people post repeatedly on this thread. My hunch is it’s the same 50 or so people who prefer the anonymity here vs say Reddit or similar forums (Apple stock lady, Palantir SWE son man, $8M by late 30s SF couple, etc).

I've been reading here and I didn't know the lady with the Palantir SWE son posted here too. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way for you to know, because some people post repeatedly. I am in an unusual situation in which my income is low and my net worth is high. No family wealth, just picking the right stock and keeping it over decades. I have posted before, but I'm sure that I am in a minuscule minority. Most of my friends and neighbors have high incomes but comparatively little net worth, because they don't have family wealth and are not the sort of handpick their stocks.

* Most people post repeatedly on this thread. My hunch is it’s the same 50 or so people who prefer the anonymity here vs say Reddit or similar forums (Apple stock lady, Palantir SWE son man, $8M by late 30s SF couple, etc).

I've been reading here and I didn't know the lady with the Palantir SWE son posted here too. Yikes.

Is she a regular other places, too?

[Anonymous]

Age has a lot to do with it. There are like 4+ generations of posters here. We're in our 40s so even though our income is only in your $300k category, we're at $10M NW because of historical timing and we're older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think you're way off.

Most people here say they have HHI of $250K and have $20M at 40.*

I think your HHI are too high and your NW is too low.


*I don't make the rules, I'm just reporting what's being said. Whether that's true that two govt employees can amass $20M in their 40s because they drive old cars and eschew guac is up to the forum to decide. But, based on my reading here, the NW reporting has skewed way up in last 2 years.

This. Lots of family $$ but HHI for most is not as high as you might think, especially in this area in the Trump 2 era.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like the regulars in this forum are significantly more wealthy than the already wealthy DCUM population. Here's my best guess:

HHI of Money and Finances:
25th Percentile:$120k
50th Percentile:$300k
75th Percentile:$500k
90th Percentile:$2m
99th Percentile: $20 M

Net worth of Money and Finances
25th Percentile:$500 k
50th Percentile:$2 M
75th Percentile:$5 M
90th Percentile:$10 M
99th Percentile: $100 M

What do you think? Am I way off?

Given that DC is a high cost of living area and is a mix of Government and private sector I would say that statistically speaking you are spot on for both income and net worth. Feds/military and low level contractor professional staff make up the bottom half and professionals and lobbyists/politicians make up the upper half.

Op here - thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way for you to know, because some people post repeatedly. I am in an unusual situation in which my income is low and my net worth is high. No family wealth, just picking the right stock and keeping it over decades. I have posted before, but I'm sure that I am in a minuscule minority. Most of my friends and neighbors have high incomes but comparatively little net worth, because they don't have family wealth and are not the sort of handpick their stocks.

* Most people post repeatedly on this thread. My hunch is it’s the same 50 or so people who prefer the anonymity here vs say Reddit or similar forums (Apple stock lady, Palantir SWE son man, $8M by late 30s SF couple, etc).

I've been reading here and I didn't know the lady with the Palantir SWE son posted here too. Yikes.

Is she a regular other places, too?

Yeah, she was bragging on a post in either the JOBS or COLLEGE forum about her DS's job and how much $$$ he was making, while many were lamenting that their grads and/or their friends hadn't found employment yet. Several posters told her they'd be mortified or ashamed to have a kid at a toxic company that's working to surveil Americans. What does she post about here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Age has a lot to do with it. There are like 4+ generations of posters here. We're in our 40s so even though our income is only in your $300k category, we're at $10M NW because of historical timing and we're older.

Family money also plays a big role.
We are at $20M NW even though our income is only $250K. We come from a wealthy family and had a large inheritance. There are many of us on this forum.

[Anonymous]

I agree without here names it’s hard to know how often someone posts. That said I agree the board skews wealthier because those are the people interested in reading money and finance boards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Age has a lot to do with it. There are like 4+ generations of posters here. We're in our 40s so even though our income is only in your $300k category, we're at $10M NW because of historical timing and we're older.

Family money also plays a big role.
We are at $20M NW even though our income is only $250K. We come from a wealthy family and had a large inheritance. There are many of us on this forum.

Our 2M net worth was enabled by the availability of family money as needed for life events. Otherwise it would have been 1M. The future inheritance is going to compound our retirement net worth as well.