Can You Retire At 55 With 1 Million Dollars

Isnt Your Financial Advisor Helping You With This

Retire At 55 With 1 Million | 4% Rule Vs Alternative Retirement Plan

This is exactly what a fiduciary financial planner is forto figure this out with you . If youre paying somebody who only manages your money or sells you products, it may be time for a change. Reach out if youd like to talktheres no obligation, and we can just chat. I do not sell anything for a commission, I provide ongoing or one-time advice for clients, and I can work with people in Colorado and other states.

If you dont yet work with a financial advisor, consider the benefits of doing so. You can spend your time and energy on other things, and an experienced professional can help guide you through lifes inevitable changes. Plus, a study from Schwab Modern Wealth showed that having a plan can increase your retirement confidence and help you develop healthy financial behaviors:

56% of people with a written financial plan felt very confident about their goals
Only 17% of respondents without a plan felt very confident

There are many ways to work with an advisor, and things may have changed since you last spoke to a financial planner. For example, its easier than ever to work with somebody for one-time financial planning or pay a flat fee for advice. Its understandable if youve had bad experiences in the past, and there are still plenty of advisors out there who are painful to work with, but things are changing.

Rates Of Return Also Matter

The potential sequence of many bad years in the stock market could crush a retirement plan if youre not careful. Also, while less risky portfolios might fluctuate less in the short term, over the long term this will have a big impact on your returns. This means a more conservative portfolio can actually increase the risk of running out of money

Rule : 4% Withdrawal Rate

The 4% withdrawal rule infers that you build up a retirement portfolio that provides a certain amount of income to you per annum at a 4% or so withdrawal rate. A 4% withdrawal rate is often referred to as a safe withdrawal rate.

For example, say you have figured out that you need $40,000 per year in retirement. Using a withdrawal rate of 4%, you should have a minimum of $1 million in retirement savings before you retire.

â $40,000 â 4% = $1,000,000

This rule of thumb works whether you plan to retire early at 35 or go the conventional route and retire at 65 years or later. Its the strategy often utilized by many early retirement enthusiasts or the movement popularly referred to as FIRE Financial Independence/Retire Early.

Note: For earlier retirement plans, consider that you will not be receiving a government pension or retirement benefits until later in life and adjust your income needs accordingly.

The general idea behind the funds lasting you for life is based on historical market returns. If we assume your investment portfolio generates approximately 7% annually in long-term returns, then real returns of approximately 4% are expected after accounting for inflation .

Essentially, a 4% withdrawal rate assumes your investment portfolio is not highly conservative .

Rb40 Household With $3 Million

I logged on to my Personal Capital account and used the Retirement Planner to see how wed do with $3 million in savings and spend $90,000 per year. There is a new feature where you can see how youd do with different savings and income. Its pretty neat. I created a new scenario with these parameters.

Income

Social Security: $25,000/year at 67

Social Security : $25,000/year at 67
Blogging: $30,000 per year for 10 years. I made $65,388 from blogging last year, but the blog income is unstable. Im pretty sure this income will crater as soon as we see a recession.

Spending Goals

Retirement Spending: $90,000 per year starting this year.
College: $40,000 per year from 2029 to 2032.

Here is the result Youre in very good shape for retirement. We forecast a 95% chance your portfolio will support your goals, including $90,000 per year in basic retirement spending.

I also ran this scenario through FireCalc and other retirement calculators. They all agree that $3 million is plenty for us. Withdrawing 3% is very conservative and the portfolio should last indefinitely.

if you dont have an account yet. The Retirement Planner is a fantastic tool that use your real data to help you plan for retirement. I highly recommend it for DIY investors.

Can I Legally Retire At 55

Theres nothing in the retirement rulebook that says you cant retire at 55 years old. In fact, some members of the FIRE movement aim to retire as early as 40. So its perfectly legal to retire in your mid-50s if thats your goal.

But its important to keep in mind that retiring at 55 isnt the norm for most people. If youre going by the normal retirement age prescribed by Social Security, for example, that usually means waiting until youre 66 or 67. And some seniors may choose to delay retirement to their 70s or simply keep working indefinitely.

Recommended Reading: How To Decide Where To Retire

Who Do You Pay Tax In Retirement

If your employer funded your pension plan, your pension income is taxable. Both your income from these retirement plans and your earned income is taxed as ordinary income at rates from 1037%. Some individuals make after-tax contributions, i.e. contributions for which they do not claim tax deductions, to their IRAs.

A How Much Income Do You Expect To Live On Per Year

You can choose to compute this amount using different strategies â for example, by using the 70% pre-retirement income rule, or by simply looking at the lifestyle you envisage living in retirement and estimating what your expenses will add up to .

Note: In your calculations, if looking at your current lifestyle and expenses, remember to eliminate expenses that may no longer be relevant in retirement such as mortgage payments, cost of commuting to work, childcare expenses RRSP, CPP, and EI payments, etc. And, remember to add new expenses that may crop up such as travel expenses, hobbies, health issues, and so on.

Don’t Miss: Retirement Homes In Shreveport La

How Much Money Do You Need To Retire

A common guideline is that you should aim to replace 70% of your annual pre-retirement income. This is what the calculator uses as a default. You can replace your pre-retirement income using a combination of savings, investments, Social Security and any other income sources . The Social Security Administration website has a number of calculators to help you estimate your benefits.

It’s important to consider how your expenses will change in retirement. Some, like health care and travel, are likely to increase. But many recurring expenditures could go down: You no longer need to dedicate a portion of your income to saving for retirement. You may have paid off your mortgage and other loans. And your taxes are likely to be lower payroll taxes, which are taken out of each paycheck, will be eliminated completely.

Be sure to adjust based on your retirement plans. If you know you wont have a mortgage, for instance, maybe you plan to replace only 60%. If you want to travel every year, you might aim to replace 100% or even 110% of pre-retirement income.

Retiring With $1 Million

How to retire with $1 million, $2 million or $3 million in savings

Dean Barber: What could retirement look like with $1 million? Were going to show you four different couples. One couple, which we referred to as the average couple, with a 60/40 portfolio, claiming Social Security at 62, would be able to spend $3.5 million over a lifetime.

But we have other couples, the investing couple, the ideal couple, the unicorn couple. Just by applying some financial planning techniques, leaving the portfolio invested 60/40, you can increase your spendable income and retirement by $480,000, by $520,000, or by $657,000.

Stay tuned for the entire video so that you can learn how to live your one best financial life and make the most of the money that youve accumulated.

Also Check: Can I Use Retirement Money To Buy A House

Paying For Health Care

Medicare coverage doesn’t start until age 65. If you want to retire at age 55, you’ll need a source of health insurance that will provide for you until you reach age 65.

The Affordable Care Act guarantees access to health insurance, even with pre-existing conditions. You can’t be charged a higher rate for any health issues, but premiums are based on age. If you’re between the ages of 55 and 65, it can cost as much as $1,000 per month.

If you’ve had a healthcare plan and have been able to keep it, you might be able to keep your monthly payments down.

Some employers may allow you to keep your health insurance with them, but they might ask you to pay some or all of the premiums they have been paying.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has a calculator to view average healthcare premiums in your state. Depending on your income, you may be able to apply for subsidies. A single 55-year-old with an annual income of $60,000 can purchase a Silver plan through the Marketplace for $360 per month.

Leave Your Retirement Savings Alone

One of the biggest hindrances to accumulating $1 million in retirement savings is withdrawing money from your retirement account before you retire. Not only might you incur early withdrawal penalties, but you will miss out on potential long-term compounding of returns on your savings. Compounding is the biggest friend you have when it comes to accumulating a large retirement nest egg.

Are We There Yet

So far, you have:

$30,000 of income from Social Security and pensions
$20,000 of withdrawals from your $500k in assetsignoring taxes, to keep it simple, but you may pay taxes in retirement

That leaves you short by about $2,000 per year. Plus, you might owe taxes on your $20,000 of withdrawals, which were ignoring for now. However, if you assume taxes of roughly 15%, thats an additional $3,000 per year you need to budget for.

So, what can you do?

The first thing most people think of is cutting their spending. Thats also the most difficult. If you can snap your fingers and spend $2,000 less each year, thats greatproblem solved.

How to Fix a Retirement Shortfall

Besides cutting your spending, there are several other ways to close the gap. None of them are ideal, but its smart to know your options in case you find yourself with expectations that cant be fulfilled . Several tips to help you retire are below.

Work longer: From the category of Least Popular Solutions, you can work longer. Doing so is surprisingly powerful:

Withdraw more: Using our example, you could take your chances and withdraw the extra $2,000 per year. The result would be a 4.4% withdrawal rate on $500,000 of savings. Thats a bit higher than the traditional 4% rule, but its not off the charts, and it could workespecially if youre willing to adjust your withdrawals in response to market crashes.

What Is A Reasonable Amount Of Money To Retire With

Theres a ton of different numbers thrown out there for retirement these days. Some even stretch up to $5 million or beyond! But are they necessary?

If you want to just keep living a modest life, what is a reasonable amount of money to retire with?

This will all depend on your current income, as well as your cost of livingBut generally, you need about 80% of your final pre-retirement annual income. In other words, if you make $100k a year, youll need approximately $80k a year in retirement.

Also Check: How To Apply For Retirement Pension

Use The 4% Rule As A Guide In Retirement

The 4% rule is a well-known strategy. It suggests that retirees with a well-balanced portfolio can withdraw 4% of their initial retirement assets and increase this amount by inflation every year. It provides a steady income stream while also maintaining an account balance that keeps income flowing through retirement.

Heres a simple example: A couple with $1.5 million in retirement savings can withdraw $60,000 each year. This amount is added to their Social Security, pension and other income, providing plenty of money to life a comfortable life. Meanwhile, over the long term, the remaining amount can continue to grow from gains in stocks, bonds and other investments.

For those who think they should spend less, we encourage you to research this topic, because spending too little is also a lifestyle risk. We see some folks spending less than 2% of their assets per year in retirement, which we like to point out would probably take another Great Depression to result in them running out of money. Thus, determining the right withdrawal rate based on your circumstances can make for a very comfortable retirement.

The Big Picture Retiring With $1 Million Can Be Different Planning Is Key

GRAPHIC 17

Dean Barber: These numbers are astounding. If people who view this video do nothing else, they can glimpse some simple strategies to improve their ability to retire successfully.

What I want you to take away here is that if you have $1 million saved and your neighbor has $1 million saved, and you both had the same Social Security earnings, dont expect that youre both going to have the same lifestyle.

You really should be asking yourself at this point: where do you line up here? Which one of these couples are you? Whether you have exactly $1 million for retirement, $750,000, $2 million, or $10 million, the same techniques and the same strategies apply across the board.

This does not discriminate in terms of how much money you have saved. The impact of proper financial planning can make an enormous difference on your ability, not just to reach retirement but to get through retirement in a much more meaningful way. Planning can allow you to do all the things you want with clarity, confidence, and control. Would you guys agree with that?

Jason Newcomer: I would agree. I would just add one other thing. If youre looking at this Graphic 17 above, , and youre someone whos in your 30s and 40s thinking, Well, I dont need to worry about this retirement stuff.

Dean Barber: No, you need to start now.

Jason Newcomer: This is when you need to be implementing these things.

Savings Interest Rate = Investment Return

Step 4 is to enter the Savings Interest Rate.

The Savings Interest field is probably the biggest unknown in the Run Out Calculator if your investments are invested in the stock market or even the bond market.

Whats referred to as savings interest rate is really the return you expect to get on your retirement savings.

To give you some perspective, a return since 1970 for a 60% stock and 40% bond portfolio is about 9.7% through late 2020.

How Much Return Can I Expect on My Investments?

Before planning on an investment return of 9.7%, lets see why this isnt safe to do in retirement planning.

First, interest rates have been in a long term decline since the 1970s. This means interest rates made up a lot of that 9.7% portfolio return.

Second, its really important to note that for retirees entering retirement around the end of a long economic expansion period, lower investment return projections are more realistic.

While this is counter intuitive, long economic expansions tend to fuel overvalued stock markets, which eventually end in bear markets and stock market losses.

Overvalued stock markets must correct to more normal valuations by first dropping significantly below those normal valuations. Sometimes the drops are significantly below the mean and other times they result in a stock market crash.

How Much Will My Investment Return Be in the Future?

This leads smart investors to ask the next question:

How Much to Expect from Stocks and Bonds Over the Next Decade?

What Type Of Investments Should Retirement Choose

Can You Retire With Only $1 Million? | Archives | CNBC

The investments should be split between stocks, bonds, and cash. One common way to create retirement income is to construct a portfolio of stock and bond index funds, or work with a financial advisor who does this. The portfolio should be designed to achieve a long-term rate of return of around 7% to 10%.

Recommended Reading: Using Home Equity In Retirement

Youre Our First Priorityevery Time

NerdWallet, Inc. is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. Its articles, interactive tools and other content are provided to you for free, as self-help tools and for informational purposes only. They are not intended to provide investment advice. NerdWallet does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy or applicability of any information in regard to your individual circumstances. Examples are hypothetical, and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific investment issues. Our estimates are based on past market performance, and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free.

So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about , but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services.Here is a list of our partners.

Case Study : $2 Million Portfolio With $3000 After

The first scenario provides Mary and Joe $3,000 per month of income from their $2 million portfolio. This is income they will need above and beyond any other sources such as social security or pensions. The money must last until they each reach age 95.

Here are some additional assumptions for case study 1:

Starting portfolio value: $2 million dollars
After-tax portfolio income per month: $3,000

Retirement age: 60
Retirement start date: January 1, 2021
Retirement time horizon: 35 years

Portfolio mix: 60% stocks 40% bonds

Using Monte Carlo Simulation, the probability that their money will last 35 years is 96%.

With such a low withdrawal rate, their money has a very high probability of lasting throughout retirement as outlined in figure 1 below.

Figure 1

Don’t Miss: Retirement Communities In New Port Richey Florida