Around 320,000 individuals had total superannuation in excess of $1 million in 2019, with around 80,000 having more than $2 million. Around 11,000 had more than $5 million. The great bulk of those with these relatively high balances were aged 60 and over but there were some individuals much younger with high balances.
It showed there were about 300,000 Aussies with more than $1 million in superannuation in 2019, and about 100 with more than $50 million. But, according to the graph, one superannuation fund had accumulated a staggering balance of more than $544 million.
Look at the one individual who has $400 million in an account supposedly designed for retirement savings. Then look at the 80,000 people who have super balances of at least $3 million. That's only one half of one per cent of Australians with super.
On the higher end, those organisations recommend individuals to save $545,000 to $745,000 in super by ages 65 to 67, for a comfortable or high-spending retirement. The only scenario where $1 million is set as the savings goal is for a high-spending couple in retirement.
Yes, it is possible to retire with $1 million at the age of 65. But whether that amount is enough for your own retirement will depend on factors that include your Social Security benefits, your investment strategy and your personal expenses.
A recent analysis determined that a $1 million retirement nest egg may only last about 20 years depending on what state you live in. Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you.
Assuming you will need $40,000 per year to cover your basic living expenses, your $1 million would last for 25 years if there was no inflation. However, if inflation averaged 3% per year, your $1 million would only last for 20 years.
A helpful cost of living benchmark prepared quarterly by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA), shows an average single person needs approximately $595,000 in superannuation before retiring, while a couple requires around $690,000.
In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved.
Around 320,000 individuals had total superannuation in excess of $1 million in 2019, with around 80,000 having more than $2 million. Around 11,000 had more than $5 million. The great bulk of those with these relatively high balances were aged 60 and over but there were some individuals much younger with high balances.
If you exceed the cap, you are liable to pay tax on the excess transfer balance earnings (excess transfer balance tax). You also need to transfer any excess to a super accumulation account or withdraw it as a lump sum. This is called a commutation.
On 30 June 2022, over 12.6 million Australians had one super account, with around 3 million people holding 2 or more accounts. The following 6 tables provide demographic information on these individuals.
The remainder (70,000) are in APRA-regulated funds. Around 140,000 persons have more than $1.5 million in super, 100,000 in excess of $2 million and about 70,000 in excess of $2.5 million.
Furthermore, the ATO categorise High Wealth Individuals as those who control a net wealth of $30M or more and it's this group that is regularly targeted by the ATO to ensure all their tax obligations are being met.
Plus, you might not be eligible for retirement benefits (like Social Security) until you reach certain ages. So, can you retire at 60 with $1 million, and what would that look like? It's certainly possible to retire comfortably in this scenario.
Likewise, while you can probably expect investment returns to be much like they have been in the past, there is no guarantee that future performance will match historical returns. Still, a $3 million nest egg will be adequate to fund a comfortable and secure retirement in the majority of circumstances.
The minimum net worth of the top 1% of households is roughly $11.1 million. The top 10% have a net worth of about $1.2 million.
How long will $800,000 last in retirement? Your money is projected to last approximately 30 years with monthly withdrawals totaling $2,024,574. How long will $1,500,000 last in retirement? Your money is projected to stretch beyond 30 years and you'll be able to make monthly withdrawals beyond $4,000,000.
Of course, there are many caveats, including whether Social Security payments will be consistent. For now, though, $1.5 million should allow you to retire comfortably. Here are two things to consider when calculating your spending: Lifestyle.
How Much Does a Couple Need to Retire Comfortably? A couple needs $690,000 to retire comfortably in Australia from age 67 until age 95. The amount that a couple needs to live comfortably in retirement is said to be $70,000 p.a.
Once a symbol of extravagant wealth, $1 million is now the retirement-savings goal for millions of Americans. For retirees able to accumulate $1 million in savings, the funds translate into inflation-adjusted income of $40,000 in the first year of a three-decade retirement using the 4% spending rule.
The historical S&P average annualized returns have been 9.2%. So investing $1,000,000 in the stock market will get you the equivalent of $96,352 in interest in a year. This is enough to live on for most people. Of course, this is just a theory based on the long term average S&P returns.
$1 million doesn't go nearly as far in retirement as it once did. 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.