The average retirement savings for a person about to retire are approximately, $225,000, equal to $450,000 combined for a couple that has saved equally. Following the conservative rule of thumb and withdrawing 4% a year will provide this couple with another $1,500 monthly or $18,000 a year.
The 80% rule: Some experts cite the "80 percent rule" of retirement planning, which states that you should plan to live on 80 percent of your pre-retirement income to maintain a similar lifestyle. So if you earn $100,000 per year, you should aim for a retirement income in the range of $80,000 per year.
It's recommended that most couples save at least seven to eight times their combined annual income to retire comfortably.
Take your estimated monthly expenses (be sure they're realistic) and divide that number by 4% to figure out how much income you'll need in retirement. You'll need $1.25 million ($50,000 ÷ 0.04) going into retirement if you estimate that you'll need $50,000 a year to live comfortably.
“With a nest egg of $100,000, that would only cover two years of expenses without considering any additional income sources like Social Security,” Ross explained. “So, while it's not impossible, it would likely require a very frugal lifestyle and additional income streams to be comfortable.”
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.
The average retirement savings for a person about to retire are approximately, $225,000, equal to $450,000 combined for a couple that has saved equally. Following the conservative rule of thumb and withdrawing 4% a year will provide this couple with another $1,500 monthly or $18,000 a year.
What is the average and median retirement savings? The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
In 2021, the average spending for those aged 65 or older was $52,141 per year, which comes down to $4,345 monthly. This covers various costs like housing, food, health care, and entertainment.
Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of December 2023, the average check is $1,767.03, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.
What Is the Average Retirement Income? The average monthly retirement income adjusted for inflation in 2023 is $4,381.25, according to a 2022 U.S. Census Bureau report. The average annual income for adults 65 and older in 2023 is $75,254 – or $83,085 when adjusted for inflation.
One single person in retirement spends 70 percent to 75 percent of what a couple spends, according to a report from the American Academy of Actuaries. On a per-person basis, the cost of living for singles is 40 percent to 50 percent higher than that for married people.
As of 2022, the average monthly benefit amount from Social Security for couples was $2,739.10. That works out to about $32,868 in annual income. Of course, the income that you can expect to receive depends a lot on your circumstances.
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.
Average Monthly Retirement Income
According to data from the BLS, average incomes in 2021 after taxes were as follows for older households: 65-74 years: $59,872 per year or $4,989 per month. 75 and older: $43,217 per year or $3,601 per month.
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.
When it comes to saving for retirement, the common advice is to aim for $1 million. This number has been cited so often that investors may feel as if they're failing if they don't reach it. But that shouldn't be the case. In fact, statistically, just 10% of Americans have saved $1 million or more for retirement.
The amount a couple needs to retire is $690,000, combined, for a comfortable retirement and $100,000 for a modest retirement, based on a retirement age of 67.
Assuming you want to withdraw 4% of your retirement assets each year, to be able to live off of $60,000 a year, you would need to have $1.5 million in retirement savings. This means you would need to put away $3,125 a month for 40 years – assuming, again, that you didn't actually invest it.
Yes, $500k Might Be Enough
With an income source like Social Security, relatively low spending, and a bit of good luck, this is feasible. And when you have two people in your household receiving Social Security or pension income, it's even easier. Clearly, more money provides more security and more options.
If you have $400,000 in the bank you can retire early at age 62, but it will be tight. The good news is that if you can keep working for just five more years, you are on track for a potentially quite comfortable retirement by full retirement age.
If you have more than $1 million saved in retirement accounts, you are in the top 3% of retirees. 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.
Retirement Savings Benchmarks for Married Couples
Financial experts say that a couple aged 60 with a dual income of $75,000 per year should have seven times their household income in their retirement account. This multiplies to a total of $525,000 saved.