很多美國人認為，一個人生活毫無壓力且能保持心境平和，才能稱得上富有。乍看上去，對富有的定義并沒有完全以金錢為中心，可細想想就會發(fā)現(xiàn)，人們的壓力其實主要就是金錢，尤其是缺錢的時候。

美國人不喜歡承認金錢可以買到幸福。嘉信理財公司連續(xù)第二年發(fā)布的年度現(xiàn)代財富指數顯示，只有11%的受訪美國人認為“家財萬貫”是富有的標志。雖然大部分受訪者選擇用精神層面的概念判斷富有與否，不過被問到當富人需要多少錢時他們也能很快給出數字來。

嘉信理財的調查顯示，美國人目前認為，如果經濟狀況要達到令人滿意的地步，需要平均擁有140萬美元，較一年前的平均水平高出20萬美元。那么，資產凈值達到才算富有？美國人認為平均凈資產要達到240萬美元，和去年在線調查1000名21歲到75歲美國人的結果相同。

調查數據還顯示了一些令人鼓舞的跡象。雖然18%的受訪者認為富有的定義是想要什么東西都能買得起，但也有17%的受訪者認為，有相親相愛家人朋友才算富有。這與財富管理公司United Capital首席執(zhí)行官喬·杜蘭的對“財富”的看法一致。他說，在人生中第一次創(chuàng)業(yè)又賣掉之后，“我意識到，金錢不過是一種動力。金錢是一種資源，可以多一些選擇。但如果不考慮清楚努力的目標，可能離開人世時身家不菲，但人生不會很精彩?！闭{研中受訪者要選出哪種說法最接近自己對富有的定義。結果顯示，被問到日常生活中什么情況下覺得富有時，最多的答案是陪伴家人，有62%的受訪者選擇了這條。緊隨其后的是55%受訪者選擇的“花時間在自己身上”，而且各年齡段都有半數以上的人如此認為，有點令人費解。不過如果沒有一定家底，兩件事想做到任何一件都沒那么容易。

生活中偶爾奢侈的消費也讓美國人覺得富有，但之所以被稱為“奢侈”是有各自的原因。比如有41%的受訪者認為，平時能去餐館吃飯或者點外賣就算富有。占總人數33%的受訪者認為，使用Netflix、Spotify或者亞馬遜會員服務Prime之類服務就算更富有，尤其是1981年以后出生的千禧一代，如此認為的占44%。而1961年到1981年出生的X世代人和1946年到1964年出生的嬰兒潮兩代人中，認同的受訪者分別占29%和23%。其他令人覺得富有的情況還包括“能獲得醫(yī)療服務”、“能資助好友和家人”，以及“早晨能正常醒來”。各項回答里只有一項算是用不上金錢。

對于未來財務狀況，千禧一代比較具有年輕人的樂觀心態(tài)。約64%的二三十歲年輕人相信將來某個時候會富有（金錢方面衡量）。只有22%的嬰兒潮一代人如此判斷。也許更好的理財習慣會幫年輕人夢想成真。因為自稱定期調整投資組合的千禧一代在同齡人之中占49%，相較占比43%的嬰兒潮一代要更積極。兩代人之中，對實現(xiàn)個人財務目標很有信心的受訪者都占24%。

和其他很多金融服務公司開展的調查一樣，嘉信理財此次調查也突出表明，有書面理財計劃的人相對感覺更穩(wěn)定，平日經濟狀況也更好。而約有52%的嬰兒潮一代人表示，沒有理財計劃是因為沒有余錢。選擇“其他”選項的人解釋說，不做理財計劃是因為“不信任理財經理，特別是在2008年金融危機以后”，還有人說“我所有的信息都被犯罪分子濫用了?！痹谶@方面能保持“心境氣和”的不多。

盡管有些困難，仍然可以看到希望的曙光。上述調查顯示，美國夢并沒有消失，至少還有人認同掙錢可以實現(xiàn)美國夢。約49%的受訪者稱，儲蓄和投資是“富有的關鍵”，另有40%的受訪者選擇通過“努力工作”變富有。

然而，還有11%的受訪者認為有錢要靠運氣。（財富中文網）

譯者：Pessy

審校：夏林

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Many Americans cite leading a stress-free life and having “peace of mind” as their personal definition of wealth. That doesn’t sound too money-centric on the face of it—until you consider that money, or specifically the lack of it, is a major source of stress.

Americans don’t like to admit that assets can buy happiness—just 11 percent of those surveyed for the second annual Modern Wealth Index from Charles Schwab chose “having lots of money” as their definition of wealth. But while most respondents selected more high-minded concepts as their keys to contentment, they weren’t afraid to put a number on what they needed to get there.

To be financially comfortable in America today requires an average of $1.4 million, up from $1.2 million a year ago, according to the survey. The net worth needed to be “wealthy”? That’s an average $2.4 million, the same as last year in the online survey of 1,000 Americans between age 21 and 75.

There were some heartening signs amid the numbers. While 18 percent defined wealth as being able to afford anything they desired, 17 percent said it was “l(fā)oving relationships with family and friends.” That jibes with how Joe Duran, chief executive officer of money manager United Capital, said he likes to think of “wealth.” After building and selling his first company, “I realized that money is nothing more than fuel,” he said. “It is a resource that lets you have choices, but if you don’t think about what you are working for, you will die rich but not live rich.” The survey asked people to choose which of the below statements came closest to their personal definition of wealth. When asked about what made respondents feel “wealthy” in their daily lives, the survey found that spending time with family was most commonly cited, at 62 percent overall. That was followed by what can be the most elusive of things, cited at about the same level across generations: “taking time for myself,” which came in at 55 percent. Hard to do either of those without some bank, though.

Life’s little luxuries matter, too—but they are called “l(fā)uxuries” for a reason. Having meals out or food delivered made 41 percent of people feel “wealthy” in their daily lives. Even services such as Netflix, Spotify or Amazon Prime made life feel richer for an overall 33 percent—particularly for millennials, at 44 percent, compared with 29 percent and 23 percent for Generation X and baby boomers, respectively. Write-in comments for what made people feel “wealthy” included “access to healthcare,” “being able to help close friends and family financially” and “just waking up in the morning.” Only one of those doesn’t require money—sort of.

Millennials displayed some youthful optimism when it came to their financial future. Some 64 percent of twenty- and thirty-somethings believe they’ll be wealthy (the cash kind) at some point in their lives, compared with 22 percent of boomers. Maybe better financial habits will help that happen, since more millennials than boomers said they regularly rebalance their portfolio—49 percent compared with 43 percent, respectively. The same percentage of millennials and boomers, 24 percent, felt “very confident” about reaching financial goals.

In line with many other surveys put out by financial services firms, the Schwab survey stresses how people who have a written financial plan feel more stable and are more on top of their daily finances. Some 52 percent of boomers, however, said they didn’t have a plan because they didn’t have enough money to need a plan. People that chose “other” to explain why they lacked a financial plan wrote in responses such as “I have trust issues with financial people, especially after the 2008 crisis” and “all my information has been compromised by criminals.” Not a lot of “peace of mind” there.

Still, in these troubled times, there is hope. The survey found that the American Dream is not dead, at least the one that dictates that making money is indeed the path to bliss. Some 49 percent of respondents said that saving and investing is “the key to wealth,” with another 40 percent choosing “hard work.”

Eleven percent, however, cited luck.