Living off the interest of a $2 million investment is possible, but it depends on the interest rate and the person's expenses. Generally, a 4-5% annual return is a safe estimate, which would be $80,000-$100,000 per year.
Yes, it is possible to live off the interest of $2 million, but it depends on your lifestyle, expenses, and how the money is invested. If you were to invest in a diversified portfolio with an average return of 4%, you could generate around $80,000 annually in interest.
Here's how much a $2 million portfolio can generate based on various withdrawal rates: At a 2% withdrawal rate, that's $40,000 a year in income. A 3% withdrawal rate is $60,000 a year in income. And a 4% withdrawal rate is $80,000 a year in income.
Is Retiring at 40 with $2 Million Possible? Retiring at 40 with $2 million is possible, though it is a lofty goal, especially if you don't have a large inheritance or some other windfall. But it can be done if your income is high sufficient and if you are aggressive with your savings strategy.
If you're eyeing a reliable income during retirement, consider an annuity. It's like a financial security blanket, giving you a steady paycheck when you stop working. So, how much can you pocket monthly from a $2 million annuity? Your monthly payout could be anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.
That's about 6% of the population. So if there's 100 people standing in front of you, 6 of them might have $2M and you won't even know.
This year's study reveals that Americans now think it takes an average of $2.5 million to be considered wealthy – which is up slightly from 2023 and 2022 ($2.2 million).
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.
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.
Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.5 million to feel wealthy, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey, which surveyed 1,000 Americans ages 21 to 75 in March 2024. That's up slightly from $2.2 million, compared with last year's survey results.
If you guessed "very few," you're right. Less than 1% of retirees hit this milestone, according to data from the Federal Reserve and the Employee Benefit Research Institute. To put that into perspective, even saving $1 million is a challenge – only 3.2% of retirees manage that.
$2 million should afford you to enjoy a comfortable and happy retirement. If you choose to retire at 50, a retirement savings fund of $2 million would provide you with $50,000 annually. If you want to manage your finances and get ready for retirement, a trusted financial advisor can help.
One popular retirement planning rule of thumb is the 4% rule. This guideline states that you can determine just how much you will need to save by dividing your desired annual retirement income by 4%. For an income of $80,000, you would need a retirement nest egg of about $2 million ($80,000 /0.04).
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).
The Bottom Line
A retirement account with $2 million should be enough to make most people comfortable. With an average income, you can expect it to last 35 years or more. However, everyone's retirement expectations and needs are different.
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.
Dated ways of describing someone worth n millions are "n-fold millionaire" and "millionaire n times over". Still commonly used is multimillionaire, which refers to individuals with net assets of 2 million or more of a currency.
Meanwhile, a $2 million retirement account will provide you 25 years of $80,000 in annual income -- based on the 4% retirement rule. In general, the rule says that you should only withdraw up to 4% of your retirement savings each year, and adjust for inflation annually, to make your savings last for about 30 years.
According to the Federal Reserve's 2022 survey, approximately 18% of U.S. households had at least seven figures net worth. That's roughly 23.7 million millionaire households across the country.