At what age should you have 100K in the bank?
Kevin O'Leary: By Age 33, You Should Have $100K in Savings — How To Get Started. If you're just starting out in your career, $100,000 might seem like a lot of money. After all, the median salary of a 20- to 24-year-old, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, is just $37,024.
“By the time you're 40, you should have three times your annual salary saved. Based on the median income for Americans in this age bracket, $100K between 25-30 years old is pretty good; but you would need to increase your savings to reach your age 40 benchmark.”
When your savings reaches $100,000, that's a milestone worth marking. In a world where 57% of Americans can't cover an unexpected $1,000 expense, having a six-figure savings account is commendable.
Most American households have at least $1,000 in checking or savings accounts. But only about 12% have more than $100,000 in checking and savings.
By age 40, your savings goals should be somewhere in the neighborhood of three times that amount. According to 2023 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual income hovers around $62,000. This means retirement savings goals for 40-somethings should tip the scales at around $200,000.
Most Americans are not saving enough for retirement. According to the survey, only 14% of Americans have $100,000 or more saved in their retirement accounts. In fact, about 78% of Americans have $50,000 or less saved for retirement.
Saving $100,000 by the age of 28 is indeed an impressive achievement and can be considered ahead of the curve in terms of personal finance and wealth accumulation, especially when compared to the average savings of individuals in their twenties.
$100,000 is considered upper middle class in lower cost areas of the country. After contributing $19,000 to your tax-exempt 401k, you are left with $81,000 a year in gross income, and ~$60,750 net income based on a 25% total effective tax rate.
At a 4.25% annual interest rate, your $100,000 deposit would earn a total of $4,250 in interest over the course of a year if interest compounds annually.
How much is too much savings? Keeping too much of your money in savings could mean missing out on the chance to earn higher returns elsewhere. It's also important to keep FDIC limits in mind. Anything over $250,000 in savings may not be protected in the rare event that your bank fails.
What is considered rich in savings?
Someone who has $1 million in liquid assets, for instance, is usually considered to be a high net worth (HNW) individual. You might need $5 million to $10 million to qualify as having a very high net worth while it may take $30 million or more to be considered ultra-high net worth.
“With a nest egg of $100,000, that would only cover two years of expenses without considering any additional income sources like Social Security,” Ross explained. “So, while it's not impossible, it would likely require a very frugal lifestyle and additional income streams to be comfortable.”
More than one in 10 Americans do not have any savings
Almost one in ten men have $100,000 or more in savings, but the figure falls by four percentage points for women (9% men vs. 5% women).
However, the general rule of thumb, according to Fidelity Investments, is that you should aim to save at least the equivalent of your salary by age 30, three times your salary by age 40, six times by age 50, eight times by 60 and 10 times by 67.
Overall, the rule of thumb is to judge by your salary. Typically, by the time you enter retirement you want to have 10 times your annual salary saved up in your retirement fund. One common benchmark is to have two times your annual salary in net worth by age 35.
By age 50, you would be considered on track if you have three-and-a-half to six times your preretirement gross income saved. And by age 60, you should have six to 11 times your salary saved in order to be considered on track for retirement.
| Age range of reference person | Average checking account balance in 2022 | Median checking account balance in 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | $7,355.53 | $1,600.00 |
| 35 to 44 | $15,309.92 | $2,500.00 |
| 45 to 54 | $20,155.22 | $3,400.00 |
| 55 to 64 | $17,515.35 | $3,500.00 |
More Than Half of Americans Have Less Than $10,000 Saved
Going up a little more, just 6% have between $100,001 and $200,000 saved. Few Americans have saved more than $300,000: 4% have between $350,001 and $500,000.
The average retirement savings for all families is $333,940 according to the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances.
If you're looking for a ballpark figure, Taylor Kovar, certified financial planner and CEO of Kovar Wealth Management says, “By age 30, a good rule of thumb is to aim to have saved the equivalent of your annual salary. Let's say you're earning $50,000 a year. By 30, it would be beneficial to have $50,000 saved.
Is 50k saved at 30 good?
Here's how much cash they say you should have stashed away at every age: Savings by age 30: the equivalent of your annual salary saved; if you earn $55,000 per year, by your 30th birthday you should have $55,000 saved. Savings by age 40: three times your income. Savings by age 50: six times your income.
The average U.S. household savings is around $5,500, according to the Federal Reserve. So when you have $50,000 sitting in the bank, you might feel pretty good about your finances.
In 2020, according to Pew Research Center analysis, the median for upper income households was around $220,000 and the median for middle income households was slightly above $90,000.
Approximately a third of the 2,521 adults questioned said they'd need an annual income of $500,000, and 21% said they'd need to earn at least $1 million a year to consider themselves rich. The study also found that the expectation of what it takes to achieve financial freedom gets higher the more a person earns.
Key Takeaways
Middle-class income currently ranges from a little under $40,000 to a little over $119,000. The definition of middle class extends beyond income to factors like education, location and marital status.
