In spite of what you may have heard, money can buy happiness.
At least that’s the opinion of more than 60 percent of Americans, according to a new poll conducted by the financial services firm Empower. What’s more is the respondents shared the exact amount one would need to make to achieve true happiness: about $284,000 a year. Unfortunately, the median household income in the U.S. is $74,000 annually, meaning most Americans fall short of true happiness.
That’s not to say you can’t be happy if you’re making less than that. Respondents also said one could be happy with at least $1.2 million in the bank. Again, however, that falls short of reality, as the median net worth of U.S. households is $192,900, the Federal Reserve reveals.