With inflation continuing to take a toll on household cash flows, getting financially ahead can feel almost impossible. But by implementing even a few smart strategies, you can boost your net worth faster than you may think, even in tough economic conditions.
If you aim to create a secure nest egg, you’re not alone. A 2026 survey conducted by The Harris Poll for the American Institute of CPAs found that 92% of Americans have financial goals, and 77% say saving is among them.
While the amount you need to build wealth varies based on health, lifestyle, dependents and location, comparing your progress with peers can provide useful context. Investment services company Empower published 2026 data from Personal Dashboard users, showing median net worth by age group.
| Age by decade | Median net worth |
| 20s | $6,600 |
| 30s | $23,093 |
| 40s | $68,698 |
| 50s | $180,227 |
| 60s | $274,564 |
| 70s | $220,067 |
| 80s | $220,741 |
While the process of saving and investing is simple on the surface, getting started and maintaining progress can be a challenge. As motivation, here are the best net worth growth strategies for 2026 — and for years to come.
[Read: How to Calculate Your Net Worth.]
1. Minimize Spending Waste
To know how to grow your assets, you have to first know how to reduce unnecessary spending. Almost everybody wastes money from time to time, but every dollar you spend on something that isn’t important is a dollar you don’t save for something that is. It’s time to refine your cash flow so you can keep waste to an absolute minimum.
Develop an individualized, flexible budget. It will enable you to make key decisions, like cutting unnecessary subscription services or reducing the number of meals you eat out of the home. With a personalized budget, you will free up cash today that you can save and invest for tomorrow.
2. Reduce High-Interest Debt
There’s nothing wrong with using loans and credit cards to get what you want, but when financing fees are tacked on, you will have less available funds to save and invest. The higher the interest rate, the more the debt will cost you and the longer it will take for you to achieve your wealth-building goals.
Kendall Meade, a certified financial planner for SoFi, says if you’re hanging on to balances with double-digit interest rates, aggressively paying them off is essential.
“We don’t know exactly what the stock market will do, but you can expect to earn at least 7% over the long term,” Meade says, explaining that debts with rates higher than that should be paid down before saving and investing.
If you can’t delete the balance with a few large payments, explore the following options:
— Negotiate a lower rate: Contact your lender and ask if they will reduce the rate. If you have been a responsible borrower and have a long history of paying your bills on time, they may work with you.
— Get a balance transfer credit card: Want to eliminate interest? You may be able to with a 0% APR balance transfer card. As long as you repay the debt within the introductory period, all it will cost you is the transfer fee, which is typically between 2% and 5% of the amount you move over.
— Tap your home equity: “For anyone who has equity in their home and high-interest debt, that’s usually the first option I suggest,” Meade says. “A home equity loan or line of credit will normally have much lower interest rates.” Using your home equity to pay off bills can be smart, but be sure you can afford the payments because you’re swapping unsecured debt for debt that’s secured by your home.
— Consider a consolidation loan: Meade also suggests looking into repackaging existing debt into a consolidation loan to secure a lower, fixed interest rate.
3. Increase Your Income
Increasing income can accelerate wealth-building. This may include asking for a raise, taking on additional work or pursuing gig or freelance opportunities. Examples include renting out a spare room, pet walking, ride-share driving, or food delivery services. You can direct temporary income boosts toward savings or debt repayment.
This could also be the perfect opportunity to ask for a raise. If you haven’t had one in a while, and you believe you’re due, schedule a meeting with your boss or human resources department.
4. Use Technology to Automate Savings
Automating savings can improve consistency. Recurring transfers from checking to savings accounts can help ensure regular contributions.
Personal finance and investing apps may also assist beginners in managing and investing funds. Some platforms offer automated portfolio management or simplified investing tools. Artificial intelligence tools are also increasingly used to provide market insights and portfolio analysis.
5. Build an Emergency Fund
As you’re working hard, budgeting and earning as much as you can, take action to protect yourself with an emergency fund.
Return to your budget and identify how much you need as a bare minimum each month to get by. Total that figure up and multiply it by at least three. So, if you determine that $2,000 will be necessary each month, aim to save $6,000. If you lose your job, you’ll have enough cash to meet your basics for a few months while you’re searching for a new position.
“Without it you are also at risk of unexpected expenses derailing your investment plans,” says Stephen Kates, a CFP at Annuity.org. “It protects your long-term investments from being used at an inconvenient time. You don’t know what the future holds.”
So where to keep the money? Kates suggests a high-yield savings account. Your assets will be liquid, , they’ll be earning a solid return and there are no penalties for withdrawals.
6. Take Advantage of High-Yield Certificates of Deposit
Once you have accumulated a bulk sum of money that you can tuck away for a while, consider putting at least some of it in a high-yield CD.
“CDs can be good for the medium term, such as a year or two years,” Kates says. “They’re great for saving for something like a house, when you have an end date for your goal. Because you can lock your savings in, and remove yourself so the money is out of your reach, it’s really helpful.”
Your assets are guaranteed to grow, too. For example, if you invested $10,000 in a high-yield CD with a 24-month maturity and it offers a yield of 4%, you would have earned $800 just by setting it aside for two years. Keep in mind that there’s often a penalty — typically equal to three months’ worth of interest payments — if you redeem a CD early.
7. Try Target-Date Funds
When you want to build wealth by investing but with few decisions on your part, a mutual fund that automatically recalculates the investment mix over time can be ideal.
Target-date funds are a mix of stocks, bonds and cash that adjust your allocation the closer you get to your goal. You can hold them in tax-advantaged retirement accounts or taxable brokerage accounts for shorter-term needs.
“I think target-date funds are an excellent solution for long-term goals, like saving for retirement,” Kates says.
“It’s hard for most people to wrap their head around investing so this puts your money in the right allocation and lets you step away. Target-date funds are good for most people. They facilitate growth, while getting yourself out of the way,” he adds.
[Read: What Is a Good Monthly Income in Retirement?]
8. Maximize Retirement Contributions
Eventually, your working days will be behind you, so building your assets to use later will save you from having to rely too much on Social Security.
If your employer offers a sponsored plan, such as a 401(k), sign up to save the most you possibly can. In 2026, the IRS allows you to contribute up to $24,500 of your salary. There are catch-up contribution opportunities, too. If you’re age 50 or older, you can add $8,000 to that number, and if you’re between 60 and 63, you can increase it by $11,250.
The amount you have deducted from your paycheck reduces your taxable income, thus lowering your tax obligation.
Additionally, if your employer matches contributions, Meade says to jump on it. It’s free money from the company that will be invested, empowering your own contributions to grow even faster.
9. Reduce Your Tax Liability
Lowering your taxable income can increase the amount available for saving and investing. Health savings accounts (HSAs) offer tax advantages, including tax-deductible contributions and tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses.
You should also make sure you claim eligible deductions and credits when you file your returns. Commonly overlooked tax write-offs include:
— Tax breaks for summer camp
— Bonus credit for savers
— Tax-deductible savings for side gigs
— Home office deductions for freelancers
10. Consider Professional Guidance
CFPs can provide structured financial guidance across tax planning, retirement saving and investment strategy. Fee-only fiduciary advisors may offer advice without commission-based conflicts of interest, making them a consideration for individuals with complex financial situations or major life changes.
“These are fiduciary advisors who can help you meet your goals,” Kates says. “Look for a fee-only CFP for unbiased advice. They’re great if you have very specific goals you want to meet, are a small business owner, or have a big life transition happening, like a divorce.”
More from U.S. News
How to Build Wealth in Your 20s and 30s
How to Use Debt to Build Wealth
What Is the Average American Net Worth by Age?
10 Ways to Grow Your Assets in 2026 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/17/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
