5 Ways the Rich Will Be Investing the Rest of 2026
According to a recent Allianz Life survey, only 25% of Americans think that it’s a good time to be investing in the market right now, and 62% are worried that a major recession isn’t too far away.
With 71% worried that market volatility could hurt their long-term financial planning, it’s important to ensure that you don’t make any rash decisions this year. It can be helpful to see what money moves wealthy people are making right now to see if that can offer up any ideas.
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This is how rich people are investing their money in 2026 and what everyday people can do to emulate their money moves to build wealth.
1. Clients Are Taking Profits
“There’s a fair degree of concern about valuations in the public equity markets, especially around the names that have run the farthest,” remarked Ryan Maynard, a certified financial planner (CFP) and managing partner at Vaquero Private Wealth. “Some valuation metrics show stocks to be their most expensive since 1999.”
He observed that clients are taking profits and holding as they feel it’s the right time. Sometimes the best investment is the one you don’t make, and it can make sense to hold on to cash if you’re worried about the state of the economy.
2. Real Estate
Mayned noted that real estate is coming back in favor after several years of unremarkable returns. He added, “When an asset has lagged for a prolonged period, that's when patient capital starts paying attention.”
The rich are looking for physical assets that they can hold on to as they may not be keen on dealing with the volatility of the stock market.
3. Private Credit
“We've also seen a fair amount of interest in building positions in the beaten-down corners of private credit, where some of the public vehicles are trading at historical discounts,” remarked Maynard. Many wealthy clients are looking for private investments directly to companies.
4. They’re Hiring Wealth Managers
“Rich people are fortunate in that they don’t have to worry about investing,” said Harry Daniels, a certified public accountant (CPA) and CFP for JustAnswer. “They hire private wealth managers who manage their investing for them.”
In his experience, the wealthy will hire managers with a significant part of their pay coming in through commissions and performance bonuses. Since rich people have the resources, they would rather outsource this aspect of financial planning.
5. They’re Diversifying Assets Due to Economic Pressures
Daniels noted that wealthy investors are diversifying due to continued economic pressures. With fears of a possible recession still pending, the rich are diversifying to spread out their risks.
He shared the following notes:
Senior investors are looking for more conservative programs where fixed income from bonds and CDs may make up a higher percentage of the investments compared to stocks.
The younger investors are more aggressive and want a higher percentage of stocks with a lower percentage of fixed income from bonds and CDs.
How Can Everyday Investors Emulate These Moves?
The experts agreed that regular investors can access diverse assets by pooling resources through mutual funds, ETFs or index funds. Retail investors can get access to real estate through ETFs, which allow you to invest in real estate and even commodities if you're looking for exposure to real assets.
Daniels believes that mutual funds are the best option for everyday investors because they’re professionally managed and allow selection of funds designed for pretty much whatever circumstance is desired in the form of risk and age. He elaborated, “So rather than having to personally design your own mutual fund, you can receive the same results with a commercially available mutual fund by joining forces with other investors.”
Daniels acknowledged that smaller investors may not have the time or capacity to manage their own portfolio. The good news is that mutual funds are professionally managed and you don’t have to stress about managing your own money. He elaborated, “Using a mutual fund, by joining forces with other investors, enough capital is raised to allow for a highly diversified investment portfolio of which you own a slice.”
It’s also important to remember that just because you don't have access to a private wealth advisor, it doesn’t mean that you can’t invest in industries and companies that you believe in. You can also learn from trusted sources online that can help guide you through the basics of investing.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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