Almost 3 out of 10 Americans have no retirement savings (2024)

FAQs

Almost 3 out of 10 Americans have no retirement savings? ›

How could so many people have no long-term savings? One answer is that a shocking 39% of Americans aren't contributing to a retirement plan, according to the study. This, too, varied by age — 43% of adults aged 35 to 44 had never put money in a retirement account, compared to 24% of those aged 18 to 24.

WASHINGTON—A new AARP survey finds that 20% of adults ages 50+ have no retirement savings, and more than half (61%) are worried they will not have enough money to support them in retirement.

According to the Survey of Consumer Finances, the average retirement savings for all families was $333,940. Balances vary by age, with those 55+ having the most in their accounts.

According to a 2018 Northwestern Mutual study, 1 in 3 Americans have less than $5,000 saved for retirement, while 21 percent of Americans have no retirement savings at all.

The percentage of those who have at least $100,000 in checking and savings ranges between 2%, for those between 25 and 29 and 19%, for those between 70 and 74. Are Americans saving more than they used to?

Also, nearly one in four (22 percent) U.S. adults said they have no emergency savings. Despite economic challenges, the percentage remains relatively unchanged year-over-year. In 2022, 23 percent of Americans had no emergency savings.

Nearly one in four (22%) of U.S. adults have no emergency savings at all, Bankrate found—the second-lowest percentage in 13 years of polling. That's especially bad news given that most Americans would need at least six months of emergency savings to feel comfortable day-to-day.

The Federal Reserve also measures median and mean (average) savings across other types of financial assets. According to the data, the average 70-year-old has approximately: $60,000 in transaction accounts (including checking and savings) $127,000 in certificate of deposit (CD) accounts.

According to The Federal Reserve, the median retirement account savings for households between ages 55 and 64 is roughly $185,000. While this is a considerable amount of money, it's probably not enough to secure a comfortable retirement for most people.

Is 100K in retirement by 30 good? ›

“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.”

Can I retire on 500k plus Social Security? As we have established, retiring on $500k is entirely feasible. With the addition of Social Security benefits, this becomes even more of a possibility. In retirement, Social Security benefits can provide an additional $1,900 per month, on average.

If you retire with no money, you'll have to consider ways to create income to pay your living expenses. That might include applying for Social Security retirement benefits, getting a reverse mortgage if you own a home, or starting a side hustle or part-time job to generate a steady paycheck.

“By the time you hit 33 years old, you should have $100,000 saved somewhere,” he said, urging viewers that they can accomplish this goal. “Save 20 percent of your paycheck and let the market grow at 5% to 7% per year,” O'Leary said in the video.

The average American has $65,100 in savings — excluding retirement assets — according to Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Planning & Progress Study. That's a 5% increase over the $62,000 reported in 2022.

According to EBRI estimates based on the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, 3.2% of retirees have over $1 million in their retirement accounts, while just 0.1% have $5 million or more.

In fact, statistically, around 10% of retirees have $1 million or more in savings. The majority of retirees, however, have far less saved.

The poll also found that among those who have been saving for retirement, 6.7% have saved between $10,000 and $49,999, 12.6% have saved between $50,000 and $99,999, 12% have saved between $100,000 and $199,999, 9.9% have saved between $200,000 and $299,999 and 16.5% have saved $300,000 or more.

The average American has $65,100 in savings — excluding retirement assets — according to Northwestern Mutual's 2023 Planning & Progress Study. That's a 5% increase over the $62,000 reported in 2022.

Our survey found that the majority of Gen Zers (54%) and Millennials (52%) have less than $5,000 saved, compared to 42% of Gen X respondents and 29% of Baby Boomers. Unsurprisingly, the oldest generation—Baby Boomers—have amassed the most impressive savings balances.