How Much Interest Would You Earn on a Million Dollars? (2024)

How Much Interest Would You Earn on a Million Dollars? (1)

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To have saved or earned $1 million is admirable, but “a million” is just a big number rather than a comprehensible amount of money. What can you actually do with it in the short or long term? The first decision you need to make is to either spend the money, set up a million-dollar bank account or turn the money into an asset, such as an investment.

The first choice is tempting, but the last can provide significant long-lasting income earned per year. If it’s put to work, money will earn more money, in the form of compounding interest. When carefully managed, a nice financial snowball begins rolling downhill.

How To Calculate the Yearly Interest on $1 Million

How much interest does $1 million make per year? Forbes reports that, on average, investors can expect about a 10% annual return on the — that’s $100,000 per year, provided you reinvest at least some of the dividends.

However, your return depends on several different factors. Your time horizon, the type of investment you make and the risk associated with that investment will all affect the interest earned on your million-dollar bank account. Here are some of the ways you can build interest on your $1 million and how much you might earn:

  1. Savings accounts
  2. Mutual funds
  3. U.S. Treasury investments
  4. Municipal bonds
  5. Corporate bonds

1. Savings Accounts

A savings account, money market account or certificate of deposit is probably the safest place to put $1 million to work. These accounts are protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC in most financial institutions which covers your investment up to $250,000.

  • Certificates of deposit: Higher interest rates paid on a CD or other time account can run about 3.5% to 5%. A million-dollar bank account would earn $35,000 to $50,000 a year at that rate according to a simple compound interest calculator.
  • Money market account: The average annual interest rate on a money market account falls between 0.01% APY and 3.45% APY, depending on your balance.
  • High-yield savings: The average savings account interest rate, according to the FDIC, is just 0.47% — just $4,700 annually for a $1 million balance — but high-yield savings accounts offer rates around 3% to 4%, with a yield of $30,000 to $40,000 per year.

2. Mutual Funds

If you were to factor in that the average return for a mutual fund is around 4.67%, a simple calculation for the interest earned would be to multiply $1 million by 4.67%. This means you would get $46,700 in interest per year with that amount of money at that rate. This is a solid retirement income option as it is less risky than other types of investments.

3. US Treasury Investments

A relatively safe parking place for that cool million would be U.S. government debt, in the form of Treasury bonds, bills or notes. The amount of interest returned on these investments varies. For example, if 10-year Treasuries yielded 3.82%, as it did on average last year, this would mean you would earn $38,200 a year for a $1 million investment. A 30-year T-bond yielding 3.93% would pay $39,300 annually.

Although not guaranteed, U.S. government debt is considered among the safest investments you can make. The debt is backed by federal taxes and other government income.

4. Municipal Bonds

A step up the yield ladder would be state and municipal bonds. These are debts issued by public agencies, for operating and other expenses. The bonds are backed by the local taxes and fees raised by the issuers. Since they’re considered a bit riskier than Treasuries, they generally pay a higher rate of interest.

Here are a few key takeaways:

  • It’s important to note that municipal bonds are free of federal income tax on the interest. In many states, they are also free of state income tax for residents.
  • This makes “munis” an attractive investment for those in higher tax brackets.
  • If you earned an interest rate of 3.65%, a $1 million investment in a 30-year muni would pay interest of $36,500 annually.

5. Corporate Bonds

Corporate bonds are debts of private companies. Bonds vary greatly in safety and return to the investor. A large company with rock-solid financials will pay a relatively low rate of interest to borrow money. Smaller and riskier companies have to pay more, so their bonds yield a higher rate.

It’s important to gauge safety and risk in the corporate bond market. Corporate bonds are rated by three big rating agencies: Moody’s, Fitch and Standard and Poor’s. The agencies assign their ratings on a letter scale, with AAA being the safest and C the riskiest.

The interest yield on corporate bonds varies with their price, which fluctuates with supply and demand. As the price of a bond falls, its yield rises. If the price of a bond rises, its interest yield will fall.

Can You Live Off the Interest of $1 Million?

Depending on your lifestyle and your choice of investments, it is possible to live off of $1 million. A reasonable annual return of 7% would bring in an annual income of $70,000. In most parts of the country, that’s enough for a comfortable home and necessities: food, utilities, auto expenses and the like. But to achieve that return, you’ll also have to accept some investment risk — and understand that your interest income might not be steady.

Final Take To GO

The first step in the process is to assess your risk tolerance and consider your age and goals. Call a financial advisor to go over your portfolio, assets, and the like. Many people can go it alone, but hiring a money manager might also be a good option. Make sure to do the math before you invest, as if done correctly, you can figure out if you can live off the interest earned on investing $1 million alone.

Thomas Streissguth contributed to the reporting for this article.

Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct. You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy.

How Much Interest Would You Earn on a Million Dollars? (2024)

FAQs

How Much Interest Would You Earn on a Million Dollars? ›

The average returns for mutual funds is 4.67%. With $1,000,000 invested, you will get $46,700 per year in interest. A lot of retirees gradually shift to more stable retirement income funds. Those kinds of funds usually invest in less risky bonds and large-cap companies.

Can you live off interest of $1 million dollars? ›

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

How much monthly income will 1 million generate? ›

According to Schwab, even if you invested in your annuity on the day of your retirement, with $1 million you can potentially collect $6,000 per month or more for the rest of your life. All of which is to say that with $1 million, you can certainly collect a comfortable amount of money in your retirement.

How much interest does 1 million dollars earn per year? ›

How much interest does $1 million make per year? Forbes reports that, on average, investors can expect about a 10% annual return on the S&P 500 — that's $100,000 per year, provided you reinvest at least some of the dividends. However, your return depends on several different factors.

How much interest income will 1 million generate? ›

As an example, with an interest-focused investment of R1 million, generating a return of 6.7% over 12 months will mean a return of R67 000 for the year. But, consumer price inflation is at 6.3% during that same period. Living off the interest means your capital amount will remain relatively fixed.

Where is the safest place to put $1 million dollars? ›

Bonds and money market accounts may be a good option for those with more conservative risk tolerance. Treasury bonds and municipal bonds typically offer lower returns but come with less risk. With a bond paying a 2% interest rate, a $1 million investment could earn you $20,000 per bond pay interest income annually.

What age can you retire with $2 million? ›

If you have multiple income streams, a detailed spending plan and keep extra expenses to a minimum, you can retire at 55 on $2 million. However, because each retiree's circ*mstances are unique, it's essential to define your income and expenses, then run the numbers to ensure retiring at 55 is realistic.

Can I retire at 65 if I have $1 million in a 401k and will receive $2500 monthly from Social Security? ›

Here, say that you have $1 million in a 401(k) or IRA, and expect to receive $2,500 per month in Social Security payments, a number right in the mid-range of possible benefits. Can you retire at 65? Well, it certainly depends on your standard of living. But for most people the answer is yes.

Can I retire at 62 with $1 million in 401k? ›

It's definitely possible, but there are several factors to consider—including cost of living, the taxes you'll owe on your withdrawals, and how you want to live in retirement—when thinking about how much money you'll need to retire in the future.

Can I retire at 55 with 300k? ›

Can I retire at 55 with £300k? On average for a comfortable retirement, an individual will spend £43,100 a year, whilst the average couple in retirement spends £59,000 a year. This means if you retire at 55 with £300k, an individual will run out of funds in approximately 7 years, and a couple in 5 years.

Can you keep 1 million dollars in the bank? ›

These limits can be imposed per account or as an aggregate across all your accounts. For example, you might be capped at $1 million for a single deposit account and $3 million across all of your accounts. Depending on your bank, the limits may be higher, lower or nonexistent.

How much do I need in the bank to live off interest? ›

Many Americans need at least $1 million invested to live off interest, but it varies. Explore how to live off interest and calculate how much you need for retirement.

How do millionaires live off interest? ›

Living off interest involves relying on what's known as passive income. This implies that your assets generate enough returns to cover your monthly income needs without the need for additional work or income sources. The ideal scenario is to use the interest and returns while preserving the core principal.

How to live off interest of 1 million dollars? ›

Another strategy to make $1 million last through retirement is to place the money in a diversified portfolio and withdraw a set percentage per year, indexing that amount to inflation. Many retirees who use this strategy follow the 4% rule. They withdraw 4% the first year, or $40,000, and they live on this amount.

Is it possible to live off interest? ›

Most people can no longer live off of interest in retirement due to low interest rates. Interest-paying bonds still have a place in retirement portfolios, but having neother income sources is key. Comparing expenses vs. interest paid each year in retirement is not enough.

Can you put a million dollars in a CD? ›

Yes, you can place $1 million in a CD account. However, it's important to note that while most banks and credit unions offer CD accounts, some may have maximum deposit limits. Before opening an account, check with your financial institution to understand their specific policies.

How long can you live comfortably with $1 million dollars? ›

Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found. But where you retire can have a profound impact on how far your money goes, ranging from as a little as 10 years in Hawaii to more than than 20 years in more than a dozen states.

How much do you need in the bank to live off interest? ›

Many Americans need at least $1 million invested to live off interest, but it varies. Explore how to live off interest and calculate how much you need for retirement.

How many people have $1,000,000 in retirement savings? ›

Putting that much aside could make it easier to live your preferred lifestyle when you retire, without having to worry about running short of money. However, not a huge percentage of retirees end up having that much money. In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings.

Can you retire $1.5 million comfortably? ›

Americans expect to need at have $1.46 million on average to retire comfortably, a new survey shows. That figure grew 15% from last year and by more than 50% since 2020. Savers are better off focusing on a holistic approach to income planning, financial professionals say.

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