I Have $1 Million. Can I Afford to Retire?
Key Points
If you're considering retiring on it, that may not be enough.
It depends on your spending needs and other income sources.
- The $23,760 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook ›
Retirement is a day many people dream of and financially prepare for throughout their working life. Before you stop working, though, you must ensure you have the money to live comfortably for the rest of your life.
If you have $1 million invested, that may feel like a lot. After all, you've officially reached millionaire status. The big question, though, is whether you can actually live off that sum or whether you need more money in your retirement plans to live comfortably after giving up your job.
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A big enough nest egg?
There are a couple of key considerations to determine if you can retire on $1 million. First, you need to know how much income your nest egg is actually going to provide, because it may not be as much as you think. You need to make your money last throughout retirement, so you can't take out too much at once.
The 4% rule is a good standard to guide you in setting your withdrawal rate. If you follow it, you'll take out $40,000 in year one (4% of $1 million) and adjust upward for inflation.
Essentially, this means that you would need to be able to live comfortably on that amount (or the inflation-adjusted equivalent of it) throughout the rest of your retirement. If you also have a Social Security benefit, don't have much debt, and have a paid-off house, that might be doable.
However, suppose you're younger and are going to rely on your savings for a long time, or you need to pay health insurance premiums until Medicare kicks in. Or you could have high expenses or don't plan to claim Social Security right away. If one or more of these situations apply, then you may find it very tough to live on your $1 million throughout retirement.
Set a realistic savings goal for your future
Ultimately, you can't assume $1 million is enough to retire just because it's a big number. You should have a clear plan for exactly how big your nest egg needs to be, based on the income you plan to spend. Multiplying your desired income number by 25 is a good way to set yourself a concrete goal.
Say, for example, that you felt like you needed $60,000 in retirement income to be comfortable. If you multiply that by 25, you'll discover that you need $1.5 million, so your $1 million wouldn't quite get you there. You could leave it invested, save a little longer, and make a big impact on your financial future.
Your retirement goals need to be personalized, but for most people, while $1 million is a substantial nest egg, it isn't always going to be enough to get them over the finish line.
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