Where should I be financially at 45?
These rules of thumb say you should have saved ... 2 to 3 times your income by age 40. 3 to 4 times your income by age 45.
You can probably retire in financial comfort at age 45 if you have $3 million in savings. Although it's much younger than most people retire, that much money can likely generate adequate income for as long as you live.
Key takeaways. According to the Federal Reserve, the average 401(k) balance is around $30,000 for those under 35, around $132,000 for those ages 35–44, around $255,000 for those ages 45–54, around $408,000 for those ages 55–64, and around $426,000 for those ages 65–75.
It's definitely possible, but there are several factors to consider—including cost of living, the taxes you'll owe on your withdrawals, and how you want to live in retirement—when thinking about how much money you'll need to retire in the future.
Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range. "The upper middle class has grown...and its composition has changed.
Households with a net worth of $1 million or more may be classified as members of the upper class, depending on the definition of class used.
How Many Americans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck? A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.
When your savings reaches $100,000, that's a milestone worth marking. In a world where 57% of Americans can't cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, having a six-figure savings account is commendable.
The recommended amount to save varies from person to person, as everyone's financial situation differs. But for many people, $20,000 is a sizable emergency fund goal that will go far. If you have a large chunk of savings set aside, make sure you keep it in a bank account that earns interest.
Key Takeaways. It may be possible to retire at 45 years of age, but it depends on a variety of factors. If you have $500,000 in savings, then according to the 4% rule, you will have access to roughly $20,000 per year for 30 years. Retiring early will affect the amount of your Social Security benefit.
Can I retire with 1.5 million at 45?
That's approximately how long your nest egg is likely to last, according to the 4% rule of thumb. If you live longer, however, you might have to cut back or risk running out of money. If that budget looks comfortable, it's a good sign that you can reasonably expect $1.5 million will cover it if you retire at 45.
1,821,745 Households in the United States Have Investment Portfolios Worth $3,000,000 or More.
As we have established, retiring on $500k is entirely feasible. With the addition of Social Security benefits, the possibility of retiring with $500k becomes even more possible. In retirement, Social Security benefits can provide an additional $1,800 per month, on average.
It is never too late to start saving money you will use in retirement. However, the older you get, the more constraints, like wanting to retire, or required minimum distributions (RMDs), will limit your options. The good news is, many people have much more time than they think.
Financial Samurai 401k Savings Guideline
From the results, the average 40 year old should have between $200,000 – $750,000 saved up in their 401k, depending on company match and investment performance.
Drawdown and Spending
The money might last 25 years. Under the 4% method, investment advisors suggest that you plan on drawing down 4% of your retirement account each year. With a $750,000 portfolio, that would give you $30,000 per year in income.
According to the 4% rule, if you retire with $500,000 in assets, you should be able to withdraw $20,000 per year for 30 years or more. Moreover, investing this money in an annuity could provide a guaranteed annual income of $24,688 for those retiring at 55.
What is the average and median retirement savings? The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
For the purposes of this article, those with an income in the bottom 20 percentile will be identified as lower class, followed by lower-middle class (up to 40th percentile), middle class (up to 60th percentile), upper-middle class (up to 80th percentile) with the remainder considered upper class.
Lower class: This is defined as the bottom 20% of earners. Those in the lower class have an income at or below $28,007. Lower middle class: This is defined as individuals in the 20th to 40th percentile of household income. Earnings among this group are between $28,008 and $55,000.
What is considered well off?
Wealthy: To be considered well off, a person must be in the 90th percentile, possessing a household net worth of $1.9 million. This level of wealth affords trips, charity donations and college funds for children.
Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.
At its most basic, net worth is everything you own minus everything you owe. To calculate your net worth, tally the value of all or your assets, including bank accounts, investments, and perhaps the value of your home or vacation home.
A solid rule of thumb is to save 15% of your income for retirement, so you'll need an annual income of about $234,800. Therefore, you must develop a lucrative side hustle or enter a high-income career to increase your savings sufficiently. In addition, saving requires discipline.
As per recent data by the Bureau of Labour and Statistics, the average salary in the US per month is $6,228 or $74,738 per year. When we speak of 2024, the gross minimum pay in the US comes to $27.77 per hour.
References
- https://www.ent.com/education-center/smart-money-management/age-40s-financial-milestone-series/
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/emergency-savings-report/
- https://www.fdic.gov/resources/supervision-and-examinations/examination-policies-manual/section8-1.pdf
- https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-statistics/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rich-heres-americans-think-considered-182847861.html
- https://www.financialsamurai.com/how-much-should-i-have-in-my-401k-at-age-40/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-savings-account-balance/
- https://blog.massmutual.com/retiring-investing/retirement-savings-goals-forties
- https://www.quora.com/If-I-want-to-deposit-more-than-3-000-in-a-week-into-a-US-bank-account-is-that-a-problem
- https://www.empower.com/the-currency/life/average-401k-balance-age
- https://smartasset.com/career/what-should-my-net-worth-be-at-35
- https://usafacts.org/data-projects/retirement-savings
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/5-things-you-shouldnt-do-when-your-savings-reaches-$100000
- https://www.newsweek.com/americans-have-burned-through-their-savings-1862843
- https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/175.asp
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/is-40000-a-good-salary/
- https://smartasset.com/retirement/how-to-retire-at-45-with-2-million
- https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-age-should-kids-become-financially-independent-2023-08-29/
- https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/business/hr-payroll/average-salary-us/
- https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/can-you-retire-on-1-million
- https://www.quora.com/Is-it-legal-to-store-large-amounts-of-cash-at-home-in-the-United-States
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/stopwork.html
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/average-checking-account-balance/
- https://www.investopedia.com/retirement/how-much-you-should-have-saved-age/
- https://ofdollarsanddata.com/what-is-considered-rich/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-statistics-2024/
- https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/investing/are-you-upper-middle-class/
- https://time.com/personal-finance/article/how-much-cash-to-keep-in-checking-account/
- https://nypost.com/banking/average-savings-balance/
- https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/how-much-do-you-need-in-savings-retirement-emergency-fund/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/long-400k-last-retirement-140004125.html
- https://www.quora.com/If-I-deposit-3k-every-month-cash-into-my-bank-account-will-I-get-audited-reported-to-the-IRS
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/banks/articles/im-45-years-old-how-much-should-i-have-in-savings/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-things-shouldn-t-savings-110025262.html
- https://www.unbiased.com/discover/retirement/retire-at-45
- https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/average-monthly-social-security-check/
- https://www.ovlg.com/blog/can-you-live-on-3000-a-month.html
- https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/money/average-401k-balance-by-age
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/buying-stocks/articles/heres-what-happens-when-you-contribute-5000-to-an-ira-at-age-45/
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-much-should-i-save-each-month
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retirement-savings-compare-average-american-110056149.html
- https://www.synchronybank.com/blog/median-retirement-savings-by-age/
- https://www.quora.com/Can-you-live-on-600-a-month
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retire-45-3-million-140043549.html
- https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/planner/agereduction.html
- https://www.westernsouthern.com/personal-finance/how-much-money-should-you-have-saved-by-25
- https://www.fool.com/retirement/how-much-saved-by-25/
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/5-things-you-shouldnt-do-when-your-savings-reaches-%24100000
- https://www.marketwatch.com/picks/heres-exactly-how-much-americans-have-in-savings-at-every-age-and-yikes-heres-what-they-should-have-01659384531
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heres-how-much-money-you-should-have-saved-for-retirement-by-age-40/
- https://www.alecu.org/financial-well-being/financial-education/investing-in-peak-earning-years
- https://fortune.com/2024/02/01/emergency-1000-expense-most-americans-broke-debt-bankrate/
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/080516/retire-45-500k-it-possible.asp
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/banks/articles/this-is-how-much-money-you-can-make-with-20k-in-a-high-yield-savings-account/
- https://smartasset.com/financial-advisor/where-do-millionaires-keep-their-money
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_middle_class_in_the_United_States
- https://www.ellevest.com/magazine/personal-finance/how-much-keep-cash
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/040915/how-much-cash-should-i-keep-bank.asp
- https://www.ally.com/stories/save/savings-by-age-how-much-to-save-in-your-20s-30s-40s-and-beyond/
- https://thehill.com/homenews/4290971-heres-the-average-net-worth-of-americans-by-age-how-do-you-stack-up/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/average-net-worth-by-age
- https://www.unbiased.com/discover/retirement/can-you-retire-on-500k
- https://www.approachfp.com/retire-on-500k/
- https://www.abhinav.com/usa-immigration/average-salary-in-usa.aspx
- https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/what-is-the-average-american-net-worth-by-age
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewrosen/2023/03/02/how-your-retirement-savings-compare-to-the-national-average/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/income-level-considered-rich-140003986.html
- https://www.nationwide.com/lc/resources/investing-and-retirement/articles/financial-planning-in-your-40s
- https://www.empower.com/the-currency/life/average-net-worth-by-age
- https://smartasset.com/checking-account/can-you-cash-a-check-at-any-bank
- https://www.joshuakennon.com/1821745-households-in-the-united-states-have-investment-portfolios-worth-3000000-or-more/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/buying-stocks/articles/im-40-with-40000-in-retirement-savings-am-i-doing-all-right/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/500k-enough-retire-age-60-140058527.html
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live-1-000-per-month-200011859.html
- https://www.skynova.com/learn/taxes/cash-deposits
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/may-surprised-long-750-000-130036930.html
- https://time.com/personal-finance/article/how-to-invest-20k/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/checking/average-checking-account-balance/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/income-fall-americas-lower-middle-122100515.html
- https://www.ribaostore.com/blogs/news/how-much-cash-deposit-is-considered-suspicious
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/can-you-have-too-much-in-savings/
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/how-much-cash-should-you-keep-at-home/
- https://www.ramseysolutions.com/retirement/can-you-really-catch-up-on-retirement-savings
- https://www.unbiased.com/discover/retirement/can-you-retire-on-300k
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/banking/how-much-should-i-have-in-savings
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/average-savings-by-age/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/savings/how-much-should-i-have-saved-by-30/
- https://www.2020financial.co.uk/can-i-retire-at-55-with-300k/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/this-is-how-much-money-you-should-have-in-savings-by-25-how-do-you-compare/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_upper_class
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/20-000-good-amount-savings-160036732.html
- https://www.ally.com/stories/retirement/savings-by-age-40/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/retirement-savings-million-dollars-stretch-money-analysis-gobankingrates-years/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/the-average-retirement-savings-by-age-and-why-you-need-more
- https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2023/12/04/how-wealth-and-wealth-gaps-vary-by-income/
- https://www.thrivent.com/insights/retirement-planning/how-to-retire-with-no-savings
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/010616/whats-average-401k-balance-age.asp
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/what-happens-if-i-deposit-more-than-10000-dollars/
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/banks/articles/heres-what-happens-if-you-deposit-more-than-10000-in-cash-into-your-bank-account/
- https://interactive-wealth.com/how-long-will-500k-last-in-retirement/
- https://www.troweprice.com/personal-investing/resources/insights/youre-age-35-50-or-60-how-much-should-you-have-by-now.html
- https://smartasset.com/retirement/building-wealth-in-your-40s
- https://www.unbiased.com/discover/retirement-investing/can-you-retire-on-1-million
- https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/home-equity-net-worth/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/how-much-cash-should-you-keep-in-the-bank/
- https://www.northwesternmutual.com/life-and-money/how-much-should-i-have-in-my-401k-by-age-60/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retire-comfortably-1-5-million-130002496.html
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/5-us-cities-where-retire-144820803.html
- https://pacesferrywealth.com/suggested-net-worth-goals-by-age/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wealthy-net-worth-considered-poor-190014440.html
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/does-your-income-make-you-upper-class-middle-class-or-lower-class/
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/5-key-signs-youre-keeping-too-much-money-in-your-savings-account
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/can-you-have-too-much-in-savings/