The answer to this question is a resounding yes! You can retire on five million dollars. You could retire quite comfortably on that amount of money. The key is ensuring that your money lasts as long as you do in retirement.
While the cost of living varies from place to place, a nest egg this size would likely give more than enough money for decades of comfortable living. Even if you live another 50 years, $5 million in savings would allow you to live on $100,000 per year.
The good news is even if you don't invest your money and generate returns, $5 million is still enough that you could live on $100,000 a year for 50 years. That'll last you until the age of 95, far beyond the average lifespan.
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.
A financial advisor can help you design a plan to pay for a secure retirement. Is Retiring at 55 with $4 Million Possible? 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.
A $5 million nest egg can provide $200,000 of annual income when the principal gives a return of 4%. This estimate is on the conservative side, making $200,000 a solid benchmark for calculating your retirement income versus expenses.
The Bottom Line
Retirement planning can be scary and there are a lot of what-ifs and unknowns. But with some wise planning, you can rest assured that $4 million will last you the rest of your life. You may want to work with a financial advisor to see how much you'll need and when the right time to retire is for you.
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. Respectively, that is 3.48% and 2.79% of all households in America.
The standard HNWI scale includes people with liquid assets ranging from $1 million to $5 million. You're considered a very-high-net-worth individual if you have liquid assets between $5 million and $30 million, and an ultra-high-net-worth individual if you have liquid assets topping $30 million.
Here's how much money it takes to be considered wealthy in 13 major U.S. cities. To feel wealthy, Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.2 million on average, according to financial services company Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey.
You would want to plan for a retirement account that can generate $120,000 per year throughout your retirement (80% of $150,000). Even without returns of any kind, just coasting on principal, a $6 million portfolio can pay you $120,000 per year for 50 years.
Is $4 million enough to retire at 60? Yes, you can retire at 60 with four million dollars. At age 60, an annuity will provide a guaranteed level income of $244,000 annually starting immediately for the rest of the insured's lifetime.
And, while life expectancy can be estimated, no one knows for certain how long they will live. As a result, they can only approximate how long their nest egg will need to last. 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.
With $5 million, based on a median household, you can likely afford to retire at age 60. The only question is how much you plan on spending or what you would like your lifestyle to look like post-retirement.
However, assuming you have as much as $6 million saved, retiring at 65 likely is a viable plan. Is $6 Million Enough to Retire at 65? Huge financial cushion. Having $6 million in savings is far more than most people have, providing higher retirement income potential and less risk of running out of money.
Additionally, statistics show that the top 2% of the United States population has a net worth of about $2.4 million. On the other hand, the top 5% wealthiest Americans have a net worth of just over $1 million. Therefore, about 2% of the population possesses enough wealth to meet the current definition of being rich.
Do you include a 401(k) in a net worth calculation? All of your retirement accounts are included as assets in your net worth calculation. That includes 401(k)s, IRAs and taxable savings accounts.
How old is the average millionaire? The average millionaire is 57 years old. This is because it takes smart financial decisions, hard work, and wise investments to become a millionaire, most of which don't fully pay off until around the age of 50 or 60.
Top 1% by Net Worth
In order to be in the top 1% of household wealth in the U.S., you'd need to be worth at least $10,374,030.10, according to Forbes. To be in the top 1% globally, you'd need a minimum of around $936,430, according to the 2019 Global Wealth Report from Credit Suisse.
The good news: As long as you plan carefully, $3 million should be a comfortable amount to retire on at 55.
A $3 million portfolio will likely be enough to allow a retired couple to spend reasonably and invest with moderate caution without any worries of running out of money. However, if expenses rise too high, it's entirely possible to drain a $3 million portfolio in well under 30 years.
In terms of your lifetime retirement needs, the simplest calculation is to take your average annual expenses and multiply them by your life expectancy. For example, if you spend $50,000 per year and your life expectancy is 25 years, you might estimate a lifetime financial need of $1.25 million.