According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the same source I used to determine how many Americans have banked at least $1 million, a mere 0.1% of Americans have a retirement nest egg worth $5 million or more. Undoubtedly, it's not a shocker to hear that only one in a thousand have reached the milestone.
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.
Advisory Services reports about 4,473,836 U.S. households have amassed $4 million or more in wealth.
Assuming a life expectancy of 90 and thus a retirement term of 29 years, $5 million would break into $172,414 annually or $14,368 monthly. That possible annual and monthly distribution amount reduces as you apply different retirement ages but will likely still cover your needs if you exit the working world early.
Answer: For most people, $5 million in savings is more than enough money to enjoy a comfortable life in retirement. The overwhelming majority of people retire with a lot less, and many of them are doing fine. However, most retirees have different lifestyles and perspectives on what it means to be comfortable.
Yes, it is possible to retire comfortably on $500k. This amount allows for an annual withdrawal of $30,000 and below from the age of 60 to 85, covering 25 years. If $20,000 a year, or $1,667 a month, meets your lifestyle needs, then $500k is enough for your retirement.
The top 10% of earners have an average net worth of $2.65 million. Even if you're squeaking into the upper class (the 80-90% range), you're looking at about $793,000. Moving down to the middle class, things get a bit more varied. The upper-middle class folks have an average net worth of around $300,800.
According to Kiplinger data, to be in the top 1% of wealth in the U.S. in 2024, one must have a net worth of about $11.6 million. That's up significantly from past years, showing just how concentrated wealth has become at the top. But the 1% isn't the only benchmark worth considering.
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.
To be part of the top 1% in the U.S., a household's net worth needs to be at least $13.6 million. This measure includes everything you own – homes, investments, savings – minus debts. Wealth tends to be a lot more unevenly distributed than income.
What are the average and median retirement savings? The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940, according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. The median retirement savings for all families is $87,000.
When it comes to retirement savings, hitting the $5 million mark is like joining an ultraexclusive club – so exclusive that less than 0.1% of retirees manage to achieve it.
Data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, which utilizes the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances, indicates that only about 0.1% of retirees have over $5 million saved for retirement. Additionally, about 3.2% have savings exceeding $1 million.
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.
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 $1,000 per month rule is designed to help you estimate the amount of savings required to generate a steady monthly income during retirement. According to this rule, for every $240,000 you save, you can withdraw $1,000 per month if you stick to a 5% annual withdrawal rate.
What is a good net worth for my age? People in their 20s and 30s should target net worth of $100,000 to $300,000. A net worth of $1 million or more should be the goal in your 40s and beyond. A seven-figure net worth is usually necessary to ensure a comfortable retirement.
Believe it or not, data from the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances indicates that only 9% of American households have managed to save $500,000 or more for their retirement. This means less than one in ten families have achieved this financial goal.
According to the Social Security Administration, or SSA, the monthly retirement benefit for Social Security recipients is currently $1,783.55 in 2024 on average. Several factors can drag that average up or down, but you have the most control over the biggest variable of all — the age that you decide to cash in.
Savings of $500,000 may sound like a lot of money. And it is. But if you retire at age 45 to live off of that amount alone, it may not last very long unless you live very frugally. Even then, those savings may get consumed while you're still living.