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Investing Glossary

Non-Accredited Investor

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The SEC regulates what a non-accredited investor can invest in and what those investments need to provide in terms of documentation and transparency. A non-accredited investor is any investor who does not meet the income or net worth requirements set out by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The concept of a non-accredited investor comes from the various SEC acts and regulations that refer to accredited investors. A non-accredited investor, therefore, is anyone making less than $200,000 annually (less than $300,000 including a spouse) that also has a total net worth of less than $1 million when their primary residence is excluded. On August 26, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission amended the definition of an accredited investor. According to the SEC’s press release, “the amendments allow investors to qualify as accredited investors based on defined measures of professional knowledge, experience or certifications in addition to the existing tests for income or net worth. The SEC now defines accredited investors to include the following: individuals who have certain professional certifications, designations or credentials; individuals who are “knowledgeable employees” of a private fund; and SEC- and state-registered investment advisers. Non-accredited investors make up the bulk of investors in the world. When people speak of retail investors, they often mean non-accredited investors.

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