Retirees have shockingly low retirement savings, data shows


Social Security today pays the average senior about $ 1,500 a month or $ 18,000 a year. That’s a nice amount to supplement outside sources of income, but it’s definitely not enough to live comfortably.

Yet many seniors are at risk of doing just that and the reason boils down to not having enough retirement savings. Transmerica reports and today’s retirees have an average savings of $ 45,000. And while the latter may serve as a source of retirement income, it will not be able to replace a strong IRA or 401 (k).

If you are approaching retirement and are seeing savings in the bubblepark of ાર્ 45,000, consider this wakeup call that you are not ready to stop working yet. If you do, you can really set yourself up for a long-term financial struggle.

Close-up of an old man with a serious expression

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For this you need healthy savings

There is no single savings number that will guarantee you financial security during retirement. Some seniors can save their golden years with બચ 100,000 in savings and just fine, while others may retire with થી 1 million and still struggle. But as a general rule, it’s a good idea to set aside your future salary for the future when you’re about 10 times your career. If your savings balance is close to $ 45,000, it means you are probably nowhere near.

What should you do in that scenario? For one thing, force yourself to work longer. Doing so allows you to accumulate both extra savings, leaving your existing savings alone. If you are 65 and ready to retire, but you work until the age of 70, when you contribute $ 500 a month to a retirement plan and invest in a fixed average annual return of 5%, you add $ 33,000 to your structure egg. you can. .

Another trick to do the job in this scenario is to delay your Social Security filing until you are 70 years old. You are entitled to receive your full monthly benefit, depending on the year of your birth, the month of your birth, the age of 66, 67 or somewhere between. But for every year you delay that point, your profit increases by 8%, up to the age of 70. And obviously, that increase is permanent.

Will the 45,000 savings take you through retirement?

Financial experts have long supported the %% annual withdrawal rate from savings. In savings, 45,000 for 000, which means 8,800 annual income. Combine that with $ 18,000 a year from Social Security, like today’s average senior collections, and still not much to live for.

If you haven’t retired yet and you don’t have much savings, it pays to pay your nest egg as much as you can, while also delaying your Social Security filing to maximize your benefits. But even that is not enough. You may still have to think about getting a part-time job as a senior, renting out part of your home, or taking other creative steps to make sure you’re able to finish. Either way, the key is to be realistic about your retirement income needs – and No Go back to your senior years assuming you’ll be fine with નામ 45,000 in your name.