To qualify as an accredited investor, an investor must either be: A) a financial institution; B) an affiliate of the issuer; or C) an individual with a net worth of at least $1 million or an annual income of at least $200,000, and the investment must not account for more than 20% of the investor's worth. This can be very significant as SEC Regulation D stipulates that a maximum of 35 non-accredited investors are allowed to invest money into a Private Placement. An issuer of a private placement will try to acquire accredited investors to raise a greater amount of capital than would be possible if only 35 investors of less affluence could contribute.

This definition is in context to Frauds and Scams. See more contextual defintions for Accredited Investor.