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Mass affluent

In marketing and financial services, mass affluent and emerging affluent are the high end of the mass market, or individuals with US$100,000 to US$1,000,000 of liquid financial assets[1] plus an annual household income over US$75,000.[2]

Mass affluent consumers are an important target market for sellers of luxury goods.

Difference from upper middle income[edit]

There may be a high correlation between the households in the upper-middle reaches of the income strata and the mass affluent, but there are differences. Social class is the result of a person's function within society rather than merely the income of the household in which he or she resides. Both terms refer to people whose wealth or income is above the average, yet below the top. As opposed to households with above average incomes the mass affluent are also defined through liquid assets such as stocks, bonds, cash, and mutual funds. Fixed assets such as real estate are not commonly counted. This is because liquid assets provide more financial flexibility, which is a desirable trait in customers.


The mass affluent have been characterized as those who save more than they spend and invest for their future. While they worry about funding their children's college education, they realize other savings and loan options exist and they are not opposed to their children paying some part of their educational costs. The mass affluent generally may worry about replacing their paycheck in retirement, and may need to be encouraged to spend more money during their retirement years. They often wish to leave an inheritance to their children. The mass affluent will have between US$500,000 and $1.5 million in investable assets upon retirement with a net worth between $500,000 and $2.5 million. They spend between $4,000 and $10,000 per month in retirement.[3]

Affluence in the United States

High-net-worth individual

Income in the United States

Income quintiles

Luxury good

Status brand

The professional/managerial middle class

Wealth in the United States

Nunes, Paul, and Brian Johnson. , Harvard Business School Press. 2004.

Mass Affluence: Seven New Rules of Marketing to Today's Consumer

Silverstein, Michael J., and Neil Fiske. , Portfolio. 2004.

Trading Up: Why Consumers Want New Luxury Goods— and How Companies Create Them

CNN/Money

Here Come the Mass Affluent

Slate

You're Not Rich, but Now You Can Fake It

FinanceTech

Wealth Management: The Race to Serve the Mass Affluent

PaymentsNews

MasterCard Analysis of Mass-Affluent Consumers Reveals Importance of Customization

business.scotsman.com

Attracting the mass-affluent

Chasing the Mass Affluent Customers

Mass Affluence: Seven New Rules for Marketing to Today's Customer

Fortune

Luxury goes mass market

Fortune

A $400 Coach bag? Shoppers think twice