What Is the Average Retirement Savings by Age? - NerdWallet (2024)

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What is the actual average retirement savings by age? ›

The above chart shows that U.S. residents 35 and under have an average of $30,170 in retirement savings; those 35 to 44 have an average $131,950; those 45 to 54 have an average $254,720; those 55 to 64 have an average $408,420; those 65 to 74 have an average $426,070; and those over 70 have an average $357,920.

1 Those who plan to retire early and/or maintain an upscale lifestyle in retirement should probably save more. Those who plan to retire after age 67 and/or maintain a more frugal lifestyle may get by with less. Approximately 10% of the nation's retirees have amassed $1 million or more in retirement savings.

According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.

While retiring on $400,000 is possible, you may need to adjust your lifestyle expectations if this is your final retirement amount. If you want to retire early, $400,000 might be a difficult number to make stretch.

Overall total average payments for the state of California: Total number of beneficiaries: 6,166,205. Total benefits: $9,340,498,000. Average total benefits: $1,515.

Let's say you consider yourself the typical retiree. Between you and your spouse, you currently have an annual income of $120,000. Based on the 80% principle, you can expect to need about $96,000 in annual income after you retire, which is $8,000 per month.

According to the SCF report, it takes a net worth of $16.7 million or more for those over 65 to be considered super wealthy. People at this level “engage in just about anything they want to engage in,” says Schmidt.

There's no single correct amount to save for retirement. For example, a $500,000 nest egg may be a good amount for some retirees, while others may need more, depending on where they live and how many dependents they have. If you want to figure out what size your nest egg should be, a retirement calculator can help.

The final multiple — 10 to 12 times your annual income at retirement age. If you plan to retire at 67, for instance, and your income is $150,000 per year, then you should have between $1.5 and $1.8 million set aside for retirement.

In that scenario, you could expect your savings to last approximately 23 years. That might not sound too bad, but it doesn't account for your tax rate, inflation or any changes to your withdrawal rate.

Are you rich if your net worth is $2 million? ›

Being rich currently means having a net worth of about $2.2 million. However, this number fluctuates over time, and you can measure wealth according to your financial priorities. As a result, healthy financial habits, like spending less than you make, are critical to becoming wealthy, no matter your definition.

An effective high-net-worth retirement plan includes calculating the savings you'll need to support your lifestyle, optimizing your tax strategy, planning for medical care and long-term care, maxing out your retirement accounts and creating an estate plan that protects your assets.

While $1,500 might not be enough for non-housing retirement expenses for many people, it doesn't mean it's impossible to stick to this or other amounts, such as if you're already retired and don't have the ability to increase your budget.

Under the 4% method, investment advisors suggest that you plan on drawing down 4% of your retirement account each year. With a $750,000 portfolio, that would give you $30,000 per year in income. At that rate of withdrawal, your portfolio would last 25 years before hitting zero.

Say that you plan to retire at 62 with $600,000 saved. You expect to withdraw 4% each year, starting with a $24,000 withdrawal in Year One. Your money earns a 5% annual rate of return while inflation stays at 2.9%. Based on those numbers, $600,000 would be enough to last you 30 years in retirement.

By age 35, aim to save one to one-and-a-half times your current salary for retirement. By age 50, that goal is three-and-a-half to six times your salary. By age 60, your retirement savings goal may be six to 11-times your salary. Ranges increase with age to account for a wide variety of incomes and situations.

“By the time you're 40, you should have three times your annual salary saved. Based on the median income for Americans in this age bracket, $100K between 25-30 years old is pretty good; but you would need to increase your savings to reach your age 40 benchmark.”