In 45 states, the average retirement age is between 62 and 65. The average retirement age is 64 for a work life of about 42 years, not anywhere close to 48 or 52 years. And less than 10% of Social Security recipients get the maximum benefit by claiming at 70, and those that do are the highest-income individuals.
Okay—let's get the age discussion out of the way. Yes, the average retirement age is 61, but many current workers expect to keep working until age 66. Also, many retirees go back to work. Some work part time while others return to full-time work and then retire again in a few years.
The average age of retirement for Americans is 66, according to a Gallup poll, which is up from age 60 in the 1990s. With Americans living an average of 78.7 years, that's a good 12 or more years of time to enjoy life after work, at a hopefully slower pace.
Nationally, the expected retirement age for women in 2022 was 64.8 and 66.2 for men. Geoff Charles is nearly 76, but retirement is not on his radar.
According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia's Retirement Standard, to have a 'comfortable' retirement, a couple who own their own home will need an income of about $67,000. A single person will need an annual income of more than $47,000.
This obviously depends on what annual income you want to fund but if you want to be able to afford a comfortable retirement—which is an income of just over $48,000 a year for a single according to the ASFA Retirement Standard—then you need a balance of at least $500,000.
According to the 4% rule, if you retire with $500,000 in assets, you should be able to take $20,000/ yr for a 30-year or longer. Additionally, putting the money in an annuity will offer a guaranteed annual income of $24,688 to those retiring at 55.
The reality is most Australians retire with far less in super. Indeed, the average super balance for Australians aged 60-64 is just over $300,000. That may be enough.
According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia's Retirement Standard, to have a 'comfortable' retirement, single people will need $595,000 in retirement savings, and couples will need $690,000.
So looking at the table, you can see that a 60-year old male will need a lump sum of almost $500,000 to provide an annual income in retirement of $42,000 for 20 years. These calculations are based on a 20-year time frame because the approximate life expectancy for Australian males is 84 years and 88 for females.
The last five years before you retire may be a critical point of time—at least when it comes to retirement planning. That's because you must determine whether you truly can afford to quit work within that period of time.
The first sign that it's time to retire is when your work starts to drain energy and vitality. Are you feeling exhausted and run down, like you can't keep going, like you're under constant, unrelenting stress? Are you not enjoying your work anymore and find yourself dreading going to the office each day?
As a general rule, early retirement leads to a longer and happier life. The optimal age is your mid 50's, when you're still young and healthy enough to enjoy everything. The only caveat is ensuring sufficient savings to support your desired lifestyle.
People can take their pension at 55 and still continue to work, but if they don't make the right financial decisions, it could hinder their future. Something very common among clients who take their pension and work is to pay more taxes, which may endanger their financial stability.
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.
Minimum pension drawdown rules
Normally the minimum drawdown percentage factor begins at 4% if you are aged under 65 and rises gradually to 14% when you are 95 or older (see table below). These government-mandated rates are a rule of thumb based on advice from the Australian Government Actuary.
Yes, you can! The average monthly Social Security Income 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 give you a better idea of the income you could receive from $500,000 in savings.
With some planning, you can retire at 60 with $500k. Remember, however, that your lifestyle will significantly affect how long your savings will last. If you're content to live modestly and don't plan on significant life changes (like travel or starting a business), you can make your $500k last much longer.
You can access your super when you: reach your preservation age and retire. reach your preservation age and choose to begin a transition to retirement income stream while you are still working.
Can I retire at 60 with $800k? Yes, you can retire at 60 with eight hundred thousand dollars. At age 60, an annuity will provide a guaranteed level income of $42,000 annually, starting immediately, for the rest of the insured's lifetime. The income will stay the same and never decrease.
Retiring at 45 with $2 million takes diligent saving and detailed planning, but it is possible. However, you'll have between 20 and 25 years to save, so you must save nearly $3,000 each to hit your goal.
The short answer is yes—$500,000 is sufficient for many retirees. The question is how that will work out for you. With an income source like Social Security, relatively low spending, and a bit of good luck, this is feasible.