7 phrases middle-class people use when trying to sound wealthier than they are

Ever notice how certain phrases just... stand out? I was at a networking event last month, nursing my sparkling water and trying to make small talk, when I overheard someone say, "My portfolio manager thinks I should diversify more internationally." The person wasn't wrong to say it, but something about the way they emphasized "my portfolio manager" made me pause.

After nearly two decades as a financial analyst, I've developed a sixth sense for these things. I've heard countless variations of financial peacocking, and I've probably been guilty of it myself. Growing up in a middle-class suburb with high-achieving parents, I learned early that perception mattered almost as much as reality.

Here's what I've noticed: when people feel insecure about their financial status, they often overcompensate with their language. These phrases aren't necessarily lies, but they're carefully chosen to create an impression. And honestly? Most wealthy people I've worked with rarely talk this way.

Let me share the seven phrases that always make my radar ping.

1. "My accountant handles all of that"

This one's a classic. Someone asks about tax deductions or financial planning, and out comes this phrase with just a touch too much emphasis on "my accountant."

Look, having an accountant is great. I recommend it if you can afford one. But here's what I learned during my finance years: truly wealthy individuals rarely name-drop their financial team in casual conversation. They might say "I'll have to check on that" or simply "I outsource my taxes."

The overemphasis usually comes from someone who just started using a tax prep service or maybe has their cousin's friend do their returns. There's nothing wrong with that! But the performative aspect? That's the tell.

2. "We're looking at properties in [expensive area]"

"Looking at" doing a lot of heavy lifting here, isn't it?

I've lost count of how many times I've heard this phrase followed by absolutely zero property purchases. During my analyst days, I'd see the actual numbers. The people who were genuinely buying expensive properties? They kept quiet until after closing.

The perpetual "lookers" were often the ones who spent Saturday afternoons touring open houses in neighborhoods they couldn't afford, then Monday mornings telling everyone about it. Window shopping for real estate isn't a crime, but presenting it as imminent purchasing? That's the stretch.

3. "Money isn't really a concern for us"

Want to know something funny? In my experience, money is a concern for almost everyone. Even my wealthiest clients worried about money, just different aspects of it.

This phrase usually pops up when someone's trying to justify a purchase or decision they're actually stressed about. I remember using a version of this myself years ago when explaining why I was staying in finance despite being miserable. "The money's too good to leave," I'd say, as if I was above caring about it.

The truly financially secure people I've known? They'll openly discuss budgets, value, and whether something's worth the cost. They're comfortable acknowledging money as a factor because they're not trying to prove anything.

4. "Our financial advisor suggested..."

Similar to the accountant line, but with an extra dash of attempted sophistication.

Here's a secret from my finance days: having a financial advisor isn't the wealth indicator people think it is. Many banks offer free consultations, robo-advisors exist, and plenty of middle-income folks have advisors. There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of these options!

The giveaway is the need to broadcast it. When every investment story starts with "our advisor says," it's usually someone trying to distance themselves from their own financial decisions while simultaneously implying they have complex wealth to manage.

5. "We only fly business class"

Or its cousin: "We don't do economy anymore."

During my analyst years, I flew constantly for work. You know who was in business class? A mix of corporate travelers using company money, people using points, those who got upgrades, and yes, some folks paying full price. You know who felt the need to announce their seating preferences? Usually not the latter group.

The wealthiest person I knew from that era? She'd book economy and upgrade with points when possible. She called it "smart money management." Meanwhile, I knew people drowning in credit card debt who insisted on business class for image reasons.

6. "It's not about the money, it's about the principle"

This phrase almost always means it's definitely about the money.

I catch myself sometimes still wanting to use this one. When you've built an identity around financial success, like I had during my finance career, admitting something is too expensive feels like failure. So instead, we create elaborate principles to justify why we're not buying something.

Genuine principles exist, absolutely. But when this phrase comes out during discussions about restaurant bills, service fees, or splitting costs? That's usually financial anxiety dressed up as moral philosophy.

7. "We're considering a second home"

The eternal consideration that never quite materializes.

"Considering" is doing Olympic-level heavy lifting here. I've heard this phrase from the same people for years, and the consideration never seems to progress. It's the adult version of "We're thinking about getting a pool."

The colleagues I knew who actually bought second homes? They mentioned it after the fact, usually when explaining why they'd be working remotely for a week. The considering phase, if it existed, wasn't public performance.

Final thoughts

Reading through these, you might recognize some phrases you've used. I certainly do. During my transition from finance to writing, I lost most of my finance colleagues as friends, and it taught me something valuable: the people who stuck around didn't care about my financial status. They cared about authenticity.

These phrases aren't inherently evil. Sometimes they're aspirational, sometimes they're protective armor, sometimes they're just habits picked up from others. But they're worth examining because they often reveal our insecurities about money and status.

What I learned from making excellent money but being deeply unhappy is this: true wealth isn't about the impression you create with your words. After confronting the identity I'd built around financial success, I realized the exhausting performance of appearing wealthy was just that, a performance.

The most genuinely wealthy people I've known, both financially and otherwise, don't need these phrases. They're comfortable with who they are and what they have. They can admit when something's too expensive, acknowledge financial concerns, and make decisions without namne-dropping their financial team.

Maybe the real wealth is being secure enough to drop the performance altogether.