Career path to wealth loses ground as sandwich class pivots to investing

Cost of living pressures reshape wealth priorities toward portfolios over salaries.

Half of surveyed sandwich class in Singapore view investing as their primary path to wealth, compared with 37% of the broader population, according to the 2026 Independent Reserve Cryptocurrency Index Singapore.

It also found that only 19% identify traditional career progression as their preferred route to financial success.

The study defines the sandwich class as middle-income households, largely aged 35 to 54, managing financial obligations across ageing parents and children amidst cost-of-living pressures.

One in five—equivalent to 21%—prioritises multiple income streams, compared with 12% of the wider cohort.

A further 21% define financial success as maintaining their standard of living in any economic climate, whilst 12% say being debt-free represents financial success, compared with 24% overall.

The sandwich class allocates across equities, bonds, exchange-traded funds, real estate investment trusts, derivatives, and cryptocurrency, with investment decisions focused on predictable income (73%), diversification (62%), and risk alignment (54%).

It also showed that 42% hold cryptocurrency, compared with 32% overall. Nearly half, or 48%, have held crypto for three to five years, whilst 33% have held it for one to two years, and 10% have held it for less than one year.

Around 65% have sold crypto in the past 12 months, compared with 44% overall, and 66% report gains from those sales.

Thirty-five percent allocate less than 10% of their portfolio to crypto, compared with 50% of the broader population.

Monthly allocations include 33% investing between $501 and $1,000, whilst 49% invest using dollar-cost averaging, compared with 29% overall.

Bitcoin accounts for 80% of holdings amongst sandwich class investors, whilst Ethereum accounts for 56%.

Seventy-seven percent say crypto is important to long-term wealth building, compared with 59% overall. Twenty-eight per cent believe crypto can outperform traditional assets, compared with 17% overall.

One in three—or 33%—intend to buy crypto in the next 12 months, compared with 19% overall.

Trust factors include clarity on government regulation (54%), price stability (50%), and responsible behaviour by crypto companies (48%).

Ease of use (45%), education (42%), and real-world adoption (42%) also feature in investment considerations.

Lasanka Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Independent Reserve Singapore said the findings reflect how middle-income households approach financial planning across multiple asset classes.