For many people earning a solid six‑figure salary, crossing into the so‑called "upper class" feels like a ticket to financial freedom. Maybe fewer fast-food lines, fewer impulse buys, and maybe a life of casual comfort. But what does that really look like when the paychecks stop and retirement rolls around?
The latest results from the Survey of Consumer Finances — collected in 2022 and published by the Federal Reserve in 2023 — provide the clearest look across American households at who actually walks into retirement with a cushion worth talking about.
