Add in another $22,000 or so from Social Security, and you could be in pretty decent shape. Coming into retirement with $100,000 in savings is far better than not having any savings at all. But the reality is that $100,000 just isn't a ton of money for what could easily be 20 years of retirement or more.
“Retiring on $100,000 is quite a challenge, especially considering the average length of retirement and cost of living,” said Jeff Rose, CFP and founder of Good Financial Cents. “According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average yearly expenses for those age 65 and older hover around $50,000.”
Living comfortably on $100,000 a year in retirement is certainly possible, but whether it's achievable depends on several factors, including your current age, your desired retirement age, your lifestyle, and your location.
Bottom Line. With $100,000 you should budget for a retirement income of around $5,000 to $8,000 on top of Social Security, depending on how you have invested your money. Much more than this will likely cause you to run out of money within 25 – 30 years, which is potentially within the lifespan of the average retiree.
How much do people save for retirement? In 2022, about 46% of households reported any savings in retirement accounts. Twenty-six percent had saved more than $100,000, and 9% had more than $500,000. These percentages were only somewhat higher for older people.
Filing for Social Security at age 62 could also end up making sense financially if you're worried you won't end up living a very long life. While you'll shrink your benefits on a monthly basis, by getting to collect that money sooner, you might end up with a higher amount of lifetime benefits.
The average American spends $4,345 per month in retirement, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's $52,141 per year.
If you earned around $50,000 per year before retirement, the odds are good that a $300,000 retirement account and Social Security benefits will allow you to continue enjoying your same lifestyle. By age 55 the median American household has about $120,000 saved for retirement, and about $212,500 in net worth.
You can get Social Security retirement or survivors benefits and work at the same time. But, if you're younger than full retirement age, and earn more than certain amounts, your benefits will be reduced. The amount that your benefits are reduced, however, isn't lost.
The full retirement age is 66 if you were born from 1943 to 1954. The full retirement age increases gradually if you were born from 1955 to 1960 until it reaches 67. For anyone born 1960 or later, full retirement benefits are payable at age 67. The chart on the next page lists the full retirement age by year of birth.
The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $3,822. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $2,710. If you retire at age 70 in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $4,873.
The earliest you can start taking Social Security retirement benefits is 62. However, the Social Security Administration reduces benefits by 30% for people who retire at 62, meaning they receive just 70% of their full retirement benefit each month for life. SSA.gov. Starting Your Retirement Benefits Early.
Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, there is no limit on how much you can earn and still receive your benefits.
$1 million, $5 million, $10 million
However, if you have $1m, are retired and are living an expensive lifestyle, you might go from wealthy to poor in a relatively short period of time. The Schwab survey found that overall, Americans say they need: $1.9 million to be wealthy in 2021 (down from $2.6 million in 2020)
According to Schwab's 2023 Modern Wealth Survey, Americans perceive an average net worth of $2.2 million as wealthy. Knight Frank's research indicates that a net worth of $4.4 million is required to be in the top 1% in America, a figure much higher than in countries like Japan, the U.K. and Australia.
“By the time you hit 33 years old, you should have $100,000 saved somewhere,” he said, urging viewers that they can accomplish this goal. “Save 20 percent of your paycheck and let the market grow at 5% to 7% per year,” O'Leary said in the video.
Nearly 2 in 5 Retirees Have No Retirement Savings
The survey found that about 37% of retirees say they have no retirement savings, up from 30% in 2022, and only about 12% have at least the recommended $555,000 in savings.
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.
One example is the $1,000/month rule. Created by Wes Moss, a Certified Financial Planner, this strategy helps individuals visualize how much savings they should have in retirement. According to Moss, you should plan to have $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of disposable income in retirement.
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.