Your “Magic” Retirement Number? (2024)

Some recent research has found a new “magic” retirement savings number.

(I explain how inflation factors in below.)

I say “magic” (tongue in cheek) because if you put 10 people in a room, you’ll get 10 different opinions about how much you should save for retirement.

And this estimate is no different.

Northwestern Mutual surveyed 4,588 adults and found:

The new “magic” number for a comfortable retirement is $1.46 million.1

It’s up 15% from last year’s $1.27 million number and is also an eye-popping 53% higher than the 2020 estimate.2

Your “Magic” Retirement Number? (1)

Broken down by generation, the numbers get even bigger.

Gen Z and Millennials expect to need around $1.6 million to comfortably retire.1

And folks with over $1 million saved believe they’ll need nearly $4 million to be comfortable.

So, obviously, these figures are all relative to your particular situation.

Your “Magic” Retirement Number? (2)

Does the average American actually need $1.46 million to retire comfortably?

Probably not.

Another “magic” number from Fidelity suggests Americans should have 10x their income saved by age 67.3

If we 10x the median household income of $74,580, we get $745,800.4

That’s about half of the first “magic” number.

For some Americans, $750k will be enough to retire on.

For others, it won’t be nearly enough to support the lifestyle they want.

Side Note: Here is our own Will Goodson, CFP, talking about this very subject:

Planning for retirement isn’t about “magic” numbers.

When we consider that the average retirement savings hovers around $88,000, the gap between desire and reality has never been greater.1

Most people don’t really know how much money they will need in retirement, and can wildly overestimate it.

As much as humans like to look for simple answers and rules to follow, turning a portfolio into retirement income is complex.

I wish we could give each person in that survey an advisor to help them calculate their own retirement target instead of guessing.

Inflation is weighing heavily on our fears for the future.

Inflation has been very high for the last few years, and (in my opinion) the survey reflects the worry many feel about how much prices are rising.

And how long high inflation will linger.

The latest March report shows that prices rose 3.5% over the last 12 months.5

That’s stronger than analysts had expected, and increases concerns that inflation isn’t actually tamed yet.

This negative surprise is likely to push back a Fed interest rate cut and stoke market volatility.

But, as with anything else in life and finance, this too shall pass.

Sources:

1.https://news.northwesternmutual.com/2024-04-02-Americans-Believe-They-Will-Need-1-46-Million-to-Retire-Comfortably-According-to-Northwestern-Mutual-2024-Planning-Progress-Study

2.https://news.northwesternmutual.com/2023-06-22-Americans-Believe-They-Will-Need-1-27-Million-to-Retire-Comfortably,-According-to-Northwestern-Mutual-Planning-Progress-Study

3.https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/retirement/how-much-do-i-need-to-retire

4.https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-279.html

5.https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/10/cpi-inflation-march-2024-consumer-prices-rose-3point5percent-from-a-year-ago-in-march.html

Chart source: https://news.northwesternmutual.com/2024-04-02-Americans-Believe-They-Will-Need-1-46-Million-to-Retire-Comfortably-According-to-Northwestern-Mutual-2024-Planning-Progress-Study

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We are a boutique, financial advisory andtotal wealth management firm with over 35 years helping clients navigate markets and developing custom financial plans. To learn more about our approach to financial planningplease reach out to us. One of our seasoned advisors would be happy to help you build a custom financial plan to help ensure you accomplish your financial goals and objectives.Schedule a conversation with us today.

More relevant articles by Financial Synergies:

Your “Magic” Retirement Number? (2024)

FAQs

Your “Magic” Retirement Number? ›

According to the SSA, financial planners are generally in agreement that retirees will need about 70%-80% of preretirement earnings to be financially comfortable.

What is my retirement number? ›

The retirement calculation:

When you retire, calculate 4% of your total retirement savings; this is what you can draw down during your first year. The second year, adjust for inflation by adding 3% to your first-year figure. This is your new 4%. Continue every year by adding 3% more.

Is $1.46 million the magic number for retirement? ›

According to Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Planning & Progress Study, Americans believe they will need $1.46 million to retire comfortably. If that number sounds high, there's bad news: It's an increase of $419,000 (almost half a million!) from a similar study conducted in 2020 and $190,000 from 2023.

What is the new magic retirement number? ›

I say “magic” (tongue in cheek) because if you put 10 people in a room, you'll get 10 different opinions about how much you should save for retirement. And this estimate is no different. Northwestern Mutual surveyed 4,588 adults and found: The new “magic” number for a comfortable retirement is $1.46 million.

What is the magic number for a couple to retire? ›

For those that do have a figure in mind, 42% of investors believe they need between $1 million and $2 million to retire, while 18% believe they need more than $2 million saved to comfortably retire, Nationwide found.

How do I find my retirement account number? ›

Check out your old W-2 tax forms; the forms will list the employer you had a retirement plan with that year. Use the information on your old W-2 to contact your plan sponsor, or old employer, directly to get your account information.

How can I check my retirement? ›

Sign in or create a personal my Social Security account to get an estimate of your future Social Security retirement benefits. You can also use a variety of Social Security benefit calculators to find your full retirement age, estimate benefits for a spouse, and get a more detailed look at your future benefits.

How many Americans have $1,000,000 in retirement savings? ›

As of June, there were roughly 497,000 so-called retirement-created millionaires in the U.S., according to the wealth management firm, which analyzed balances across 26,000 of its customers' accounts. Nearly 399,000 Americans also have a least $1 million in an individual retirement account.

How much annuity will $1,000,000 buy? ›

How Much Annuity Will I Get for £1,000,000? With a total amount of £1,000,000, if you take 25% tax free cash, you will be left with £750,000 remaining in your pot. With a lifetime annuity, you might expect to receive £48,050 a year, or £4,004 per month.

Is $5 million enough to retire? ›

Yes, $5 million is generally considered sufficient to retire at 60 for couples who have an annual post-tax spending of $120,000 on fixed living expenses. This budget should also cover healthcare, travel, occasional vehicle purchases, charitable donations, and potential nursing care costs later in life.

What is the retirement magic number? ›

Here's how much you would need to put into a retirement account each month, starting at different ages, to reach the $1.46 million “magic number” by age 65, according to Northwestern Mutual's “Planning & Progress Study 2024.” Figures are based on a 7 percent average return compounded daily.

Why isn't 65 the magic number for retirement anymore? ›

At the time, 65 seemed like a more than reasonable age at which to encourage retiring. The life expectancy in 1935 was 59.9 for men and 63.9 for women. What wasn't factored in was that by 2022 the average life expectancy in the U.S. would grow by 20 years.

What does a 1 million retirement look like? ›

Many retirees who follow the 4% rule. With a $1 million nest egg, They withdraw 4% the first year, or $40,000, and they live on this amount. In the second year, they take out the same 4%, plus the rate of inflation for that year. If inflation were 2%, the second year's withdrawal would be 102% of $40,000, or $40,800.

What is the most powerful magic number? ›

Seven was the most powerful magical number, based on centuries of mythology, science, and mathematics, and therefore had a very important role in the wizarding world. Arithmancer Bridget Wenlock was the first to note this through a theorem which exposed the magical properties of the number seven.

What is a magic number and why is it bad? ›

The use of unnamed magic numbers in code obscures the developers' intent in choosing that number, increases opportunities for subtle errors (e.g. is every digit correct in 3.14159265358979323846 and can be rounded to 3.14159?) and makes it more difficult for the program to be adapted and extended in the future.

What is the magic number to be considered wealthy? ›

But how much does it take to be considered wealthy? A net worth of $2.5 million is what Americans think it takes to earn the wealthy moniker, according to Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth survey. That seven-figure sum is up 14% from a year ago, when survey respondents thought amassing $2.2 million was enough.

What is my retirement claim number? ›

Answer. It's a unique, 7-digit number that starts with a "CSA" or "CSF" prefix and ends with a number or letter suffix. The combination of these numbers and letters protects annuitants' account security. Claim numbers may be formatted differently on different OPM documents.

What number is retirement on w2? ›

Form W-2, Box 13

You should check the retirement plan box if an employee was an "active participant" for any part of the year in: a qualified pension, profit-sharing, or stock-bonus plan under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a) (including a 401(k) plan). an annuity plan under IRC Section 403(a).

How do I find my pension number? ›

A pension number is a unique number that's used to identify your pension and can usually be found at the top of your pension paperwork. If you can't find your pension number in your records, you should contact your pension provider for assistance.

What is my early retirement number? ›

To get this number, first multiply your monthly expenses by 12 to figure out your annual expenses. You then multiply that annual expense by 25 to get your FIRE number or the amount you'll need to retire. So, for example, if your monthly expenses are $6,000, you multiply that by 12 to get an annual expense of $72,000.

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