Is $4 million enough to retire at 55? Yes, you can retire at 55 with four million dollars. At age 55, an annuity will provide a guaranteed level income of $225,000 annually starting immediately for the rest of the insured's lifetime.
Medicare is another valuable benefit that isn't available for most 55-year-old retirees. Until you reach the usual qualification age of 65, your post-retirement budget will have to include paying premiums for private health insurance. You can probably retire at 55 if you have $4 million in savings.
Say they retire at age 70 with $4 million. Using the 4% rule, they would be able to withdraw roughly $160,000 a year from their investments. On top of that, they would receive $71,124 in Social Security benefits each year. That's an annual income of $231,124-and it should last them the rest of their life.
Fidelity estimated that those saving for retirement should have a minimum of seven times their salary by age 55. That means that if your annual salary is currently $70,000, you will want to plan on saving at least $490,000 saved.
It probably is possible for most people to retire at age 55 if they have $2.5 million in savings. The ultimate answer, though, will depend on the interplay between various factors.
Retiring at 50 is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the years ahead without worrying about work and $4 million is a reasonable amount to make it possible. The initial nine and a half years may be difficult since federal penalties bar access to your retirement account.
How much super you'll need in retirement depends on the lifestyle you want. According to the government's MoneySmart website, if you own your home, the rule of thumb is that you'll need two-thirds (67%) of your current income each year to maintain the same standard of living.
A nest egg worth $4 million can provide many retirees with enough money for everyday expenses, as well as general freedom to do what they want. If you're preparing to retire with $4 million, there's a number of specific tasks you'll want to complete to ensure your continued success.
Household wealth
Research has found that couples aged between 50 and 70 years have the highest median net worth (nearly $900,000), while singles aged between 30 and 40 years have the lowest median net worth ($50,000).
If you're retiring at 55 instead of 66, you have 11 extra years of expenses and 11 fewer years of income that your savings will need to cover. The good news: As long as you plan carefully, $3 million should be a comfortable amount to retire on at 55.
The Bottom Line
If you have $3 million saved, it's likely that you'll be able to retire comfortably. You'll need to factor in your living expenses, inflation and the expected rate of return on your investments.
Professionals usually recommend a withdrawal rate between 4% and 5%. So, if you have a $4 million portfolio withdrawing 4% per year would give you about $160,000 per year to live off of. Of course, this figure doesn't account for taxes or inflation rates.
Based on the median costs of living in most parts of America, $5 million is more than enough for a very comfortable retirement. Based on average market returns, $5 million can support many households indefinitely.
Retiring at age 45 with $3 million is quite feasible if you already have the money and your post-retirement income needs are not excessive. Accumulating that much money in time for such an early retirement will likely be challenging.
The rule of 55 is an IRS provision that allows workers who leave their job for any reason to start taking penalty-free distributions from their current employer's retirement plan once they've reached age 55.
In fact, a recent survey found that investors believe they'll need at least $3 million to retire comfortably. But retiring with $1 million is still possible, even as early as age 55, if you're smart about it. It will require some careful planning since you'll have to wait 10 years for Medicare, but it can be done.
Australians wanting to be in the country's top 1% for wealth need to have an individual net worth of US$5.5 million ($8.3 million), Knight Frank's 2023 Wealth Report has found.
But the number might surprise you. To be considered in Australia's highest percentage of wealth, you must have a total net worth of a staggering US$5.5 million (A$8.26 million).
The number of “ultra-high-net-worth individuals” in Australia – those with a net wealth of more than $US30 million – is set to grow by 40.9 per cent over the next five years: from 17,456 in 2022 to 24,589 in 2027.
The average age at which most people retire is 62, according to a 2021 Gallup Poll. But if you have $4 million in savings, it's entirely possible to retire by age 55.
How many $4 or $5 millionaires are there in the US? Somewhere around 4,473,836 households have $4 million or more in wealth, while around 3,592,054 have at least $5 million.
Types of High-Net-Worth Individuals
An investor with less than $1 million but more than $100,000 is considered to be a sub-HNWI. The upper end of HNWI is around $5 million, at which point the client is referred to as a very-HNWI. More than $30 million in wealth classifies a person as an ultra-HNWI.
Yes, you can! The average monthly Social Security Income check-in 2021 is $1,543 per person. In the tables below, we'll use an annuity with a lifetime income rider coupled with SSI to estimate better the income you could receive off a $750,000 in savings.
The amount needed to retire starting at age 55 depends on your lifestyle and expenses. If your annual expenses are high, $5 million may be safe. With $1 million, you could draw $40,000 per year (assuming a 4% safe withdrawal rate) without touching the principal.