What Is a Non-Accredited Investor?

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.

An accredited investor can be a bank or a company but is mainly used to distinguish individuals who are considered financially knowledgeable enough to look after their own investing activities without SEC protection. The current standard for an individual accredited investor is a net worth of more than $1 million excluding the value of their primary residence or an income of more than $200,000 annually (or $300,000 combined income with a spouse).

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.

Per Investopedia.com