Financial situations selected on Sam's List
Each row is a situation respondents said applies to them. Respondents can choose more than one; labels are shown as they appear in the quiz.
Data period: Feb 23, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. Last updated Oct 16, 2026.
Key findings
- W2 income accounts for 14.7% of situation selections in this analysis (Feb 23, 2024 – Oct 16, 2026).
- Solopreneur / freelancer accounts for 11.3% of situation selections in this analysis (Feb 23, 2024 – Oct 16, 2026).
- High net worth ($1M+) accounts for 11.2% of situation selections in this analysis (Feb 23, 2024 – Oct 16, 2026).
Situation share table
| Situation | Share | Directory |
|---|---|---|
| W2 income | 14.7% | — |
| Solopreneur / freelancer | 11.3% | Accountants for solopreneurs |
| High net worth ($1M+) | 11.2% | — |
| Startup equity or stock options | 6.7% | Equity compensation advisors |
| Entrepreneur / founder | 6.1% | — |
| Real estate investor | 6.0% | Accountants for real estate |
| Young professional | 5.8% | — |
| High Net Worth Individual | 4.9% | — |
| HENRY (High Earner, Not Rich Yet) | 4.2% | — |
| Crypto investor | 4.1% | — |
| Retirees | 3.3% | Retirement planning advisors |
| QSBS holder | 3.0% | Accountants for QSBS holders |
| Ultra high net worth ($10M+) | 2.9% | — |
| Equity comp (RSUs, options) | 2.9% | Equity compensation advisors |
| FIRE (Financially Independent, Retire Early) | 2.8% | — |
| Bootstrapped profitable | 2.8% | — |
| International / expat | 2.3% | Accountants for expats |
| Pre-revenue startup | 2.0% | Accountants for startups |
| Recent windfall or inheritance | 1.6% | — |
| Seed / Series A | 1.5% | — |
Share of the data included in this analysis. Multiple selections are allowed, so shares compare selections rather than individuals.
Definitions
Share means a category's percentage of all included selections (people can pick more than one).
Data period is the date range of quiz submissions included; last updated is when the aggregate was generated.
Methodology
Based on aggregate Sam's List quiz data. Percentages reflect the data included in each analysis.
Small categories below the minimum cell size are left out entirely. The data describes people who used Sam's List, not all U.S. businesses or households. No names, contact details or free-text answers are used.
How to cite this data
Sam's List, "Financial situations selected on Sam's List", https://samslist.com/research/personas, data Feb 23, 2024 – Oct 16, 2026, updated Oct 16, 2026. See the methodology and about Sam's List.