Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

Saved $1 million for retirement? Here's where your money will last the longest around the U.S.? ›

Americans looking to stretch their retirement savings may want to head to states in the South or the Midwest, a recent analysis suggests. Around the U.S., a $1 million nest egg can cover an average of 18.9 years worth of living expenses, GoBankingRates found.

A recent analysis determined that a $1 million retirement nest egg may only last about 20 years depending on what state you live in. Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you.

In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved.

Once you have $1 million in assets, you can look seriously at living entirely off the returns of a portfolio. After all, the S&P 500 alone averages 10% returns per year. Setting aside taxes and down-year investment portfolio management, a $1 million index fund could provide $100,000 annually.

According to the Survey of Consumer Finances, the average retirement savings for all families was $333,940. Balances vary by age, with those 55+ having the most in their accounts.

According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.

Specifically, those with over $1 million in retirement accounts are in the top 3% of retirees. The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) estimates that 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million, and a mere 0.1% have $5 million or more, based on data from the Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.

The Federal Reserve also measures median and mean (average) savings across other types of financial assets. According to the data, the average 70-year-old has approximately: $60,000 in transaction accounts (including checking and savings) $127,000 in certificate of deposit (CD) accounts.

Some folks will need $10 million to have the kind of retirement lifestyle they've always dreamed about. Others can comfortably live out their golden years with a $1 million nest egg. There's no right or wrong answer here—it all depends on how you want to live in retirement!

When it comes to retirement, Americans have a new number in mind — $1.46 million — for how much they think they will need to live comfortably, according to new research from Northwestern Mutual.

What is the 4th retirement rule? ›

The 4% rule limits annual withdrawals from your retirement accounts to 4% of the total balance in your first year of retirement. That means if you retire with $1 million saved, you'd take out $40,000. According to the rule, this amount is safe enough that you won't risk running out of money during a 30-year retirement.

According to a 2020 working paper from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, the top 1% of retirees—which a retiree with $4 million in assets would fall into—can expect to pay about 22.7% in state and federal taxes.

There are a few different ways to invest your money to earn interest and live off of that income. The most popular investments are bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs) and annuities. The interest that you'll earn will depend on the amount of money you have in your account when you go to live off of that interest.

Social Security offers a monthly benefit check to many kinds of recipients. As of December 2023, the average check is $1,767.03, according to the Social Security Administration – but that amount can differ drastically depending on the type of recipient. In fact, retirees typically make more than the overall average.

How Many People Have $1,000,000 in Retirement Savings? According to Fidelity's Q3 2023 report, about 378,000 people had more than a million dollars in their 401(k)s.

According to Schwab, even if you invested in your annuity on the day of your retirement, with $1 million you can potentially collect $6,000 per month or more for the rest of your life. All of which is to say that with $1 million, you can certainly collect a comfortable amount of money in your retirement.

Most retired Americans believe they will need nearly $1.5 million in the bank to retire comfortably, according to a new study. The majority of retirees surveyed believe that they will need $1.46 million in the bank to retire comfortably, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2024 Planning & Progress Study.

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.

Can I Retire at 60 With $1 Million Dollars? You can retire at 60 with $1 million dollars and receive a retirement income of $55,000 p.a. For 30 years if you are a couple and $70,000 p.a. for 30 years if you are single.