Is 9% a good return on a 401k?

Asked by: Arjun Reilly  |  Last update: February 9, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (29 votes)

That being said, although each 401(k) plan is different, contributions accumulated within your plan, which are diversified among stock, bond, and cash investments, can provide an average annual return ranging from 3% to 8%, depending how you allocate your funds to each of those investment options.

Is 10% a good rate of return on a 401k?

Above Average: A return of 10% or more annually is often considered a good return for a 401(k), especially in a strong market. Risk and Volatility: Higher returns typically come with higher risks, so it's essential to consider the investment strategy and risk tolerance.

Is 9% into 401k good?

The general rule of thumb is 15% for your retirement. Since there's already 6% for the pension, you could increase your 401k to 9%, assuming you are not saving anywhere for retirement.

Is 9% a good rate of return?

An ROI of 9% might be on the low side when you're investing in stocks, but it's a great rate if you're investing in bonds.

Is contributing 10% to 401k good?

In most cases, you choose the value you want to put in. While your take-home pay will be reduced, your retirement nest egg has the potential to grow. Contributing 10% (or even more) to your retirement plan account can make a big difference toward growing your future savings.

How Much You NEED Saved in Your 401(K) by Age

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Is 7% too much for 401k?

In this case, a good rule of thumb that still has a profound positive impact on your retirement savings is to contribute just enough to receive the full employer match. So if your employer will match up to 7% of your contributions, only contribute 7% so you can take full advantage of that extra money.

Is 10% good for retirement?

If the company kicks in 5%, then you save at least 5%. If your employer does nothing, set aside at least 10% of each paycheck on your own. (If you are older and haven't started retirement saving, then 10% will be too low: start thinking at least 15%-20%.)

What is the average return on a 401k for 20 years?

Variable Rate of Return: Financial advisors often project an average rate of return for 401(k) plans between 5 to 8% over 20 to 30 years. However, this does not guarantee such returns due to market volatility and other factors.

How much money do I need to invest to make $3,000 a month?

$3,000 X 12 months = $36,000 per year. $36,000 / 6% dividend yield = $600,000. On the other hand, if you're more risk-averse and prefer a portfolio yielding 2%, you'd need to invest $1.8 million to reach the $3,000 per month target: $3,000 X 12 months = $36,000 per year.

Is a 10% return realistic?

That often cited 10-per-cent return for stocks based on the post-1950 period is roughly equivalent to a 7-per-cent real return in the historical data. That is about 2 per cent higher than unbiased estimates of U.S. expected returns, U.S. equity returns before 1950 and global stock returns spanning 1890 through 2023.

Can I retire at 62 with $400,000 in 401k?

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.

Is 8% a lot for 401k?

Experts advise individuals to save enough to get their company's matching contribution. Many investors save between 10% to 20% of their gross salary.

What is a reasonable return on 401k?

Many retirement planners suggest the typical 401(k) portfolio generates an average annual return of 5% to 8% based on market conditions. But your 401(k) return depends on different factors like your contributions, investment selection and fees. Sometimes broader trends can overwhelm these factors.

Is an 8% return realistic?

Is a rate of return of 8% a good average annual return? The answer is yes if you're investing in government bonds, which shouldn't be as risky as investing in stocks.

Does a 401k double every 7 years?

One of those tools is known as the Rule 72. For example, let's say you have saved $50,000 and your 401(k) holdings historically has a rate of return of 8%. 72 divided by 8 equals 9 years until your investment is estimated to double to $100,000.

How much should I invest to get $50,000 per month?

Fixed Deposits (FDs): Safe but lower returns (7% return needs an 86 lakh investment for 50K monthly). Dividend Income: Invest in dividend-paying stocks (average 7% yield needs an 85 lakh investment for 50K monthly).

How much do you need to invest to be a millionaire in 5 years?

Let's say you want to become a millionaire in five years. If you're starting from scratch, online millionaire calculators (which return a variety of results given the same inputs) estimate that you'll need to save anywhere from $13,000 to $15,500 a month and invest it wisely enough to earn an average of 10% a year.

How much money do you have to make a month to make $100000 a year?

A $100,000 salary can yield a monthly income of $8,333.33, a biweekly paycheck of $3,846.15, a weekly income of $1,923.08, and a daily income of $384.62 based on 260 working days per year.

What is a good 401K balance by age?

By age 35, aim to save one to one-and-a-half times your current salary for retirement. By age 50, that goal is three-and-a-half to six times your salary. By age 60, your retirement savings goal may be six to 11-times your salary. Ranges increase with age to account for a wide variety of incomes and situations.

Is a 7% return realistic?

A good return on investment is generally considered to be around 7% per year, based on the average historic return of the S&P 500 index, adjusted for inflation. The average return of the U.S. stock market is around 10% per year, adjusted for inflation, dating back to the late 1920s.

What is the 50 30 20 rule after 401K?

Key Takeaways

The 50-30-20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should dedicate 20% to savings, leaving 30% to be spent on things you want but don't necessarily need.

Is 10% OK for 401k?

Saving between 10% and 20% of your gross salary toward retirement is a general rule of thumb to follow, but everyone's situation is different. These savings could come in the form of a 401(k) or in another kind of account, like a Roth IRA or even a traditional savings account.

Is 8% for retirement good?

The 75% income replacement rate ballpark figure is based on reducing your spending at retirement by 5% and saving 8% of your gross household income during your working years. We chose 8% because it's about the average that people are saving in their retirement accounts.

What is the 40/30/20 rule?

The 40/30/20/10 rule is a budgeting framework that separates what you earn into categories for spending your after-tax income: 40% for needs. The biggest category for most people is day-to-day needs. This includes housing, utilities, transportation, health care and groceries.