Is Retiring at 55 with $4 Million Possible? The average age at which most people retire is 62, according to a 2021 Gallup Poll. But if you have $4 million in savings, it's entirely possible to retire by age 55. Retiring early offers a lot of advantages.
The $1,000-a-month rule for retirement states that you'll need $240,000 in savings for every $1,000 of monthly retirement income. The rule assumes a 5% annual withdrawal rate. So if you want $4,000 in monthly retirement income from investments, you'd need to save at least $960,000.
Here's how the 4% rule works.
In your first year of retirement, you can withdraw 4% of your total balance or $100,000. That sets your baseline. The withdrawal amount increases with the inflation rate each year thereafter. If inflation is 2% in year two, you withdraw $102,000.
It's certainly possible to retire early on $400,000, but it won't be easy. If you have the option of working and saving for a few more years, it will likely give you a significantly more comfortable retirement.
According to estimates based on the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, a mere 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts. The number of those with $2 million or more is even smaller, falling somewhere between this 3.2% and the 0.1% who have $5 million or more saved.
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.
That's not chump change, but it's also not the $5-$10 million range some financial gurus – like Suze Orman – insist you must live comfortably. If you're dreaming of $3 million or more, though, you're officially aiming for a financial VIP club that represents less than 1% of retirees.
While following the 4% rule can make it more likely that your retirement savings will last the remainder of your life, it doesn't guarantee it. The rule is based on the past performance of the markets, so it doesn't necessarily predict the future.
For example, if you have retirement savings of $1 million, the 4% rule says that you can safely withdraw $40,000 per year during the first year — increasing this number for inflation each subsequent year — without running out of money within the next 30 years.
You can retire comfortably on $3,000 a month in retirement income by choosing to retire in a place with a cost of living that matches your financial resources. Housing cost is the key factor since it's both the largest component of retiree budgets and the household cost that varies most according to geography.
Probably 1 in every 20 families have a net worth exceeding $3 Million, but most people's net worth is their homes, cars, boats, and only 10% is in savings, so you would typically have to have a net worth of $30 million, which is 1 in every 1000 families.
The typical American has an average retirement savings of $489,170. Americans in their 60s have the most saved for retirement with average balances close to $1.2 million. Average account balances more than double between those in their 20s vs their 30s.
It's perfectly legal and possible to retire in your mid-50s if that's your goal. But it's important to keep in mind that retiring at 55 isn't the norm for most people. If you're going by the normal retirement age prescribed by Social Security, for example, that usually means waiting until you're 66 or 67.
Like any basic rule of thumb, this one comes with plenty of qualifications and exceptions, but it can be a useful place to start. Now, 4% of $4 million is $160,000, so as long as you expect your retirement to last for about 30 years and that amount sounds like enough—or more than enough—for you, you're in a good place.
The 4% rule, while popular, has significant limitations for modern retirees. Four major issues with the 4% rule: inflexible withdrawals, sequence of returns risk, over-conservatism, and fixed retirement length assumptions.
The ideal monthly retirement income for a couple differs for everyone. It depends on your personal preferences, past accomplishments, and retirement plans. Some valuable perspective can be found in the 2022 US Census Bureau's median income for couples 65 and over: $76,490 annually or about $6,374 monthly.
Just 16% of retirees say they have more than $1 million saved, including all personal savings and assets, according to the recent CNBC Your Money retirement survey conducted with SurveyMonkey. In fact, among those currently saving for retirement, 57% say the amount they're hoping to save is less than $1 million.
Your net worth is what you own minus what you owe. It's the total value of all your assets—including your house, cars, investments and cash—minus your liabilities (things like credit card debt, student loans, and what you still owe on your mortgage).
Rich retirees: In the 90th percentile, with net worth starting at $1.9 million, this group has much more financial freedom and is able to afford luxuries and legacy planning.
And if you're aiming for the $2 million club? Well, the number of those who make it is even smaller. We're talking about a sliver of a sliver – somewhere between that 3.2% and the razor-thin 0.1% who've got $5 million or more.
According to data from Edward Jones, by age 62 you should have $435,000 to $530,000 in savings. Since your net worth is more than just your savings, you can add to that base amount (and subtract liabilities) based on your lifestyle and what you think it'll look like in retirement.
Summary. Retiring with $200,000 in savings will roughly equate to $15,000 annual income across 20 years. If you choose to retire early, you will need additional savings in order to have a comfortable retirement.