How much should I have in my 401k at 55?
By age 40, you should have three times your annual salary already saved. By age 50, you should have six times your salary in an account. By age 60, you should have eight times your salary working for you. By age 67, your total savings total goal is 10 times the amount of your current annual salary.
Age | Average 401(k) balance | Median 401(k) balance |
---|---|---|
50-55 | $161,869 | $43,395 |
55-60 | $199,743 | $55,464 |
60-65 | $198,194 | $53,300 |
65-70 | $185,858 | $43,152 |
With $400,000, if you buy an annuity at age 62 and then retire, you might expect monthly payments of around $2,400 for the rest of your life. This comes to about $28,800 per year in guaranteed income according to one estimate.
1: Check Your Retirement Savings Progress
T. Rowe Price analysis suggests that 45-year-olds should have three times their current income set aside for retirement. This savings benchmark rises to five times current income at age 50 and seven times current income at age 55.
Suggested savings: The general guidelines recommend having eight times your annual salary saved by 60. The median income for a 55-year-old is about $63,000, which means having $506,600 saved for retirement. The average savings for those 55-65 is $256,244.
In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved. If you're looking to be in the minority but aren't sure how to get started on that savings goal, consider working with a financial advisor.
Can I retire on 500k plus Social Security? As we have established, retiring on $500k is entirely feasible. With the addition of Social Security benefits, the possibility of retiring with $500k becomes even more possible. In retirement, Social Security benefits can provide an additional $1,800 per month, on average.
By age 40, you should have three times your annual salary already saved. By age 50, you should have six times your salary in an account. By age 60, you should have eight times your salary working for you. By age 67, your total savings total goal is 10 times the amount of your current annual salary.
Key takeaways. According to the Federal Reserve, the average 401(k) balance is around $30,000 for those under 35, around $132,000 for those ages 35–44, around $255,000 for those ages 45–54, around $408,000 for those ages 55–64, and around $426,000 for those ages 65–75.
You can start receiving your Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62. However, you are entitled to full benefits when you reach your full retirement age. If you delay taking your benefits from your full retirement age up to age 70, your benefit amount will increase.
Where should I be financially at 55?
Fidelity estimated that those saving for retirement should have a minimum of seven times their salary by age 55. That means that if your annual salary is currently $70,000, you will want to plan on saving at least $490,000 saved.
If you retire with no money, you'll have to consider ways to create income to pay your living expenses. That might include applying for Social Security retirement benefits, getting a reverse mortgage if you own a home, or starting a side hustle or part-time job to generate a steady paycheck.
Age | Average 401(k) Balance | Median 401(k) Balance |
---|---|---|
35 to 44 | $97,020 | $36,117 |
45 to 54 | $179,200 | $61,530 |
55 to 64 | $256,244 | $89,716 |
65 and older | $279,997 | $87,725 |
Age of family head (or reference person) | Median net worth | Average net worth |
---|---|---|
45-54 | $247,200 | $975,800 |
55-64 | $364,500 | $1,566,900 |
65-74 | $409,000 | $1,794,600 |
75+ | $335,600 | $1,624,100 |
The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
That's how financial advisors typically view wealth. The average American, on the other hand, sees $774,000 as a sufficient net worth to be financially comfortable and a net worth of $2.2 million to be wealthy, according to Schwab.
In a survey released this month, investment firm Schroders found that non-retired U.S. adults expect they'll need, on average, about $5,000 per month — or over $1 million in total — to afford a comfortable retirement.
No two people are exactly alike, and neither are their dreams for retirement. However, there is a common thread that unites them: Most Americans believe they will need $1.27 million to retire comfortably, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Planning & Progress Study.
One frequently used rule of thumb for retirement spending is known as the 4% rule. It's relatively simple: You add up all of your investments, and withdraw 4% of that total during your first year of retirement. In subsequent years, you adjust the dollar amount you withdraw to account for inflation.
Summary. $300,000 can last for roughly 26 years if your average monthly spend is around $1,600. Social Security benefits help bolster your retirement income and make retiring on $300k even more accessible. It's often recommended to have 10-12 times your current income in savings by the time you retire.
Is 200k plus Social Security enough to retire?
Who says you need $1 million to retire in style? Whether you started saving later in life or recently took a hit in your 401(k), a $200,000 retirement goal can be sufficient to last during your golden years.
Put 80% of your money into retirement accounts like 401ks or IRAs, and 20% in high-yield investments. Invest 80% of your money in passive index funds or ETFs and the remaining 20% in real estate. Put 80% of your money into blue-chip stocks and 20% in bonds or small and midsized companies.
Fidelity says by age 40, aim to have a multiple of three times your salary saved up. That means if you're earning $75,000, your retirement account balance should be around $225,000 when you turn 40. If your employer offers both a traditional and Roth 401(k), you might want to divide your savings between the two.
By the time you turn 50, you should aim to have around six times your salary saved for retirement, according to Fidelity. So, if you earn $100,000, for example, ideally you should have around $600,000 sitting in your retirement savings account.
As a rule of thumb, experts advise that you save between 10% and 20% of your gross salary toward retirement. That could be in a 401(k) or in another kind of retirement account. No matter where you save it, you want to save as much for retirement as you can while still living comfortably.
References
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