Are You 'Fake Rich’? 'New Money'? 'Quiet Luxury'? Rachel Cruze and George Kamel's Video Breaks Down the New Language of Wealth
In an era when people aren’t just judged by what they earn but also by the vibes their spending gives off, personal finance experts Rachel Cruze and George Kamel say the language of wealth is increasingly specific.
In a YouTube video, Cruze and Kamel breakdown popular labels like "new money," "fake rich" and "quiet wealth." Terms like this have taken hold across TikTok and Instagram as Gen Z offers its own take on financial identity, with some of the identities more desirable than others.
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“It’s not as simple as being ‘broke’ or ‘rich’ anymore,” Kamel said. “There are major differences between someone who has new money versus someone who is fake rich versus someone who is just quietly building wealth. They’re subtle, but they’re there.”
Cruze agreed, noting that the labels themselves have become part of the culture: “I feel like we come up with new terms to judge people on — not us,” she said. “But the labeling and the perception is very real.”
Cruze and Kamel’s discussion explored what purchase choices, from cars to clothes, travel and groceries, may signal about a person’s financial identity. One of the clearest dividing lines is whether a purchase is about enjoyment or appearance — read on to find out more.
New Money vs. Fake Rich
Cruze and Kamel said new money vibes are often seen in people who want the latest and greatest. Think trendy accessories, constant upgrades and visible markers of success. Cruze noted that some of those behaviors can drift into fake rich territory.
“This is a low-cost way to signal that you own new things, but very little cash is actually required,” she said of people who collect trendy trinkets. “All the effort is for the appearance.”
“You want the look, which tells me it might be more fake rich,” Kamel added. “You’re not necessarily going into debt, but you’re trying to put on this aura that ‘I have money.’”
Leasing a new sports car every year? Both hosts said that’s a classic fake‑rich move. Buying front-row concert tickets on a credit card also earns a fake-rich label.
What Quiet Wealth Looks Like
Quiet wealth, they argue, is almost the opposite: understated, secure and rarely posted online. Owning authentic art, which the hosts define as curated from travel or purchased from working artists, is one example.
“Art to me is quiet wealth,” Cruze said. “Everyone would pretty much know a Louis Vuitton symbol, right? But when you spend money on nice things that no one knows what it really is, except for like probably a small part of the population, it’s just appreciated art.”
“If you use the word ‘curate’ and you mean it, you are quiet wealth,” Kamel added.
Even mundane habits can signal quiet wealth. They include paying off your home early, staying in the same industry long term or holding season tickets to a local sports team, as long as you avoid debt in buying them.
Travel, Groceries and HELOCs
Extravagant European trips multiple times a year lean new money, especially if they’re heavily documented online, Kamel said.
“If you post about it on Instagram, it’s new money,” Kamel explained.
Shopping at high-priced grocer Erewhon? Also new money.
Taking out a HELOC for home upgrades lands somewhere between new money and fake rich, according to the hosts.
“Please do not take out a HELOC to build a pool or do the renovations,” Kamel said. “It really just puts you at double risk. If you miss payments, they can foreclose on your house.”
Motivation Matters
The hosts ended the discussion with a practical takeaway: Spend for joy, not for show.
“Don’t spend to try to impress people,” Cruze said. “You can actually know your motivation if you think, ‘Is somebody going to see this purchase or am I doing this to fulfill something?’”
“Let’s shoot for quiet wealth,” she added. “If we had a target out there, that’s where we’re going.”
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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