A good monthly retirement income is typically 80% of pre-retirement income; advisors often suggest a range between 70% and a more conservative 90%. Median income for households headed by someone over 65 was $50,290, or $4,191 per month, in 2022 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Upper-Class: With an upper middle class net worth between $500,000 and $1 million, upper-class retirees enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. They have sufficient savings and investments to cover their needs without financial strain. Rich: Those who retire wealthy have a net worth exceeding $1 million.
Turns out, the number might surprise you. According to data from the Federal Reserve and the Employee Benefit Research Institute, just 3.2% of retirees have saved over $1 million.
The chart below shows having $3 million saved for retirement comfortably puts you in the top 5% of retirees in America.
To crack the top 10% of retirees, your net worth needs to hit around $1.9 million, according to Federal Reserve Board survey data. For those aged 65-74, that figure jumps to about $2.63 million; for retirees 75 and older, it climbs even higher to $2.86 million.
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).
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.
So, can I retire at 60 with $5 million? Based on our study, we find that $5 million should be enough for couples who spend $120,000 per year after-taxes on fixed living expenses, plus the cost of healthcare, travel, a periodic vehicle purchase, charitable giving, and affording nursing care later in life.
A “nest egg” generally refers to retirement savings that you typically don't touch until you retire. It's the money you save for the future so that you have something to fall back on when you retire.
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.
The Bureau says the median household income in the U.S. that year was $74,580. A 55-year-old earning that amount today and planning to take Social Security at age 62 would get an estimated monthly benefit of about $1,869 a month — or $22,428 a year. (This figure was reached using the AARP's Social Security calculator.)
The average household retirement income in the United States is $27,617, according to an analysis by Wisevoter of data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. However, depending on where you live, your local average may be much higher or lower.
According to data from the Social Security Administration, as of January 2024, the average monthly retirement benefit payment was $1,909.01, which comes to about $22,322 per year.
Yahoo Finance
In 2024, Americans stated that the average net worth they consider “wealthy” is $2.5 million.
The final multiple — 10 to 12 times your annual income at retirement age. If you plan to retire at 67, for instance, and your income is $150,000 per year, then you should have between $1.5 and $1.8 million set aside for retirement.
For a $3 million retirement fund, anticipate a monthly income of $6,250 over 40 years, barring investment growth or loss. Factors such as lifestyle choices, inflation, and healthcare costs will influence how long your savings last.
Upper-middle-class retirees: These retirees possess a net worth between $201,800 and $608,900. They have diversified assets and enjoy a comfortable retirement cushion.
How much do you need to earn to be in the top 1% income bracket? To be in the top 1% of earners, you're looking at an average annual income of $819,324. The top 0.1% of Americans earn an average of $3,312,693.
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.
"For estate tax purposes all assets should be listed on the net worth statement, including tangible personal property like clothing, jewelry, furniture, cars, collections and art.
Given the financial definitions of asset and liability, a home still falls into the asset category. Therefore, it's always important to think of your home and your mortgage as two separate entities (an asset and a liability, respectively).