A nest egg of $2.5 million could generate $100,000 in income per year if you tap your accounts at the widely cited 4% sustainable rate of withdrawal. This rule forecasts that withdrawing that percentage from your accounts each year will allow a nest egg to last at least 30 years. Will Your Income Be Enough?
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.
With $2.5 million in cash, $500,000 in an IRA and average Social Security benefits, someone who's 67 is likely in a pretty good spot for retirement. However, retiring comfortably involves more than financial resources. It also requires balancing income and expenses.
Retirement Income From $2.5 Million
A retirement nest egg of $2.5 million can likely produce an annual income of $100,000 for as long as you are likely to live. This is using the 4% withdrawal rate that many advisors consider safe.
In findings from its 2024 Modern Wealth Survey, Charles Schwab said that Americans, on average, believe it takes $2.5 million to be considered wealthy in today's economy.
As of 2022, the median household retirement savings for Americans ages 65-74 is $200,000. In 2022, the average (median) retirement savings for American households was $87,000. The recommended retirement savings at age 40 is 3X annual income. As of 2024, 25% of American non-retirees have no retirement savings.
It probably is possible for most people to retire at age 55 if they have $2.5 million in savings. The ultimate answer, though, will depend on the interplay between various factors. These include your health, your anticipated retirement lifestyle and expenses, and how you invest your nest egg.
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.
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.
The same study also reveals that Americans feel that being wealthy in the U.S. means having an average of $2.5 million, an increase on $2.2 million from 2023 and 2022. Baby boomers believe this figure should be slightly higher at $2.8 million, but Gen Z and Millennials believe they could feel wealthy at a lower figure.
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.
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.
One frequently used rule of thumb for retirement spending is known as the 4% rule. It's relatively simple: You add up all of your investments, and withdraw 4% of that total during your first year of retirement. In subsequent years, you adjust the dollar amount you withdraw to account for inflation.
Ultimately, $2.5 million can reasonably support retiring at 60 if assumptions around withdrawal rates, taxes, healthcare costs and other factors hold up. Being flexible about expenses and having some income options as a potential backup provide wiggle room in case things don't work out exactly as expected.
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.
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).
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.
Since 2017, Schwab has collected data annually on Americans' perspectives on saving, spending, investing, and wealth. 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).
“You could call healthcare the biggest retirement expense people fail to plan for. Many folks just assume Medicare is going to pay for everything but, in reality, it only covers about two-thirds of your costs.”
Let's say you consider yourself the typical retiree. Between you and your spouse, you currently have an annual income of $120,000. Based on the 80% principle, you can expect to need about $96,000 in annual income after you retire, which is $8,000 per month.