In the United States, 3 million households have financial assets of $500 000 or more. These households control nearly half (46%) of consumer-owned financial assets:

• This group's average net worth is $1.7 million.
• Financial assets account for 73% of total household assets.
• Half this group is retired people; professionals or entrepreneurs make up the other half.

The wealthiest 3% manage their own household financial affairs but are not totally self-reliant:

• Fully 80% enjoy learning about investment opportunities.
• Some 60% need advice and prefer to consult with specialists when making investment decisions.
• Half this group sought professional financial advice in the past year.

The very affluent identify stockbrokers as the "best" professionals to satisfy their wealth-building needs, but they rate stockbrokers low on trust:

• Among households seeking advice, 59% turned to stockbrokers over other financial professionals.
• Only one in five people in this group "have a great deal of trust" in stockbrokers; they place greater trust in bankers, accountants, or financial planners.