cover of episode How to Make $100,000/Year in Retirement

How to Make $100,000/Year in Retirement

2024/9/13
logo of podcast George Kamel

George Kamel

Chapters

Retirement planning requires considering retirement income, not just savings targets. This chapter explores how much you need to save to have a $100,000 annual income during retirement, factoring in withdrawal rates, investment returns, and the importance of starting early.
  • A 4% withdrawal rate is generally recommended by financial advisors.
  • The S&P 500 has historically returned 10-12% annually.
  • Starting early significantly impacts retirement savings due to compound growth.
  • A $2.5 million nest egg is needed for a $100,000 annual income at a 4% withdrawal rate.

Shownotes Transcript

Go with me here. It's the year of our Lord 2060. Justin Bieber is president. Your kids are taking their college spring break trips in virtual reality. You finally bought into the whole pixelated clothing trend. We're all forced to use Android devices. Just kidding. What cruel hell would that be? And us millennials are still reminiscing about VHS tapes as we reach retirement age. Now this is a video store. Wow. Wow. Wow.

We're thinking about what we want from the sunset years of life, not to mention what our retirement income will afford us. You see, when it comes to retirement savings, a lot of people have a specific dollar amount in mind, like one or two million. But you also need to think about your retirement income, or the amount you can withdraw to live on each year of retirement to make sure it can support the lifestyle you want for as long as you need. So because I want you to have a ball of retirement, and because whole numbers are easier to do math with,

I'm going to show you how much you'll need to save to have a yearly income of $100,000 in retirement. But first, a quick message from George of the Future, year 2060.

Good people of YouTube, the future is awesome, especially the gluten-free hamburger buns. But getting us here is up to you. So do your part by hitting those like and subscribe buttons. Your grandchildren's inheritance depends on it almost as much as future Pete Davidson depends on the pens in 2060. Ha ha ha ha ha, JK bro, you've been cryogenically frozen for years now.

A recent survey from Charles Schwab asked 1,000 Americans with 401k plans how much they think they need to have saved for retirement. Their answer was $1.8 million. But how do you know what your retirement goal number should be to afford a six-figure retirement income? Do you just shoot for the stars and hope you hit a trust fund?

Bro, what are you talking about, man? Well, there's actually a simple way to figure out how much you'll need to save. But quick caveat, not everyone is going to need a six-figure retirement income. We chose $100,000 because the median household income in America is about $75,000. And we figured $100,000 a year would be enough to keep up with inflation, healthcare costs, and maintain that bougie lifestyle. Hey, those anti-aging acai bowls ain't gonna pay for themselves. Wow! Wow!

So now that we're all clear on that, let's figure out how much you'll need to have in your nest egg to pull $100,000 a year in retirement. First, you've got to consider your withdrawal rate, aka what percentage of your money you plan to take out of your nest egg every year. In the financial world, there are all kinds of opinions about what a proper safe withdrawal rate is, but it all depends on the size of your nest egg, your risk tolerance, your investments, your

your age, your lifestyle, and what kind of golf cart you want to drive in Del Boca Vista. Are you telling me there's not one condo available in all of Del Boca Vista? That's right. Most financial advisors recommend a withdrawal rate of 4% to make sure you don't run out of money.

Now, they're being uber conservative here, like even more conservative than bringing a green bean casserole to a Lutheran potluck. But think about this. The S&P 500 has had an average annual return of 10 to 12%. That means even with 4% inflation, you could technically withdraw 8% and not touch the principal balance. That's pretty amazing. But to avoid the wrath of the keyboard warriors in the comment section, let's just go uber conservative just to make a point. So if we want $100,000 salary, that's gotta be 4% of your total nest egg.

So to get to that target nest egg number, you multiply 100,000 by 25, which equals 2.5 million dollars. One million dollars.

But how do we get an amount of money equivalent to the cost of 1,000 French Bulldogs? And how much do we need to save every month to get there? Well, the answer depends on how much money you're starting with and how much time you have left to save until retirement. Well, you can say that about most anything. It depends. Of course, it depends. So to be uber conservative again, let's say you're starting from zero with no retirement savings and you want to retire at 67 with 1,000 French Bulldogs. I mean, $2.5 million.

Just me? Just me? Am I the only one with that life goal? Can you imagine a farm with just a thousand French bulldogs living their best life? For these examples, let's assume a 10% average annual rate of return. And if you think that's insane, let me introduce you to my good friends, history and data. Historically, the S&P 500 has had an annual return of around 10 to 12%. So to get to that $2.5 million number by 67, here's how much you need to save every month.

If you're 20 years old, you need to save $196 a month. If you're 30, you'd need to save $537 a month. If you're 40, you need to save $1,520 a month. And if you're 50, you need to save $4,697 a month. So clearly, the sooner you start, the easier it's gonna be. But if you're older and feeling behind, remember, there's always money in the banana stand.

- All this money in the banana stand. - Side note, to find the number for your exact age and goals, we've got a retirement calculator you can play around with. I will link that below and I encourage you to check it out. Let's change the subject. Let's talk about a way you could save money on your phone plan. And that's by switching to Tello, one of the sponsors of today's video.

Tello is a mobile service provider offering the same high-speed nationwide coverage you thought you could only get from the big guys at prices lower than the height requirement to ride a log flume at Six Flags. I'm talking about $25 a month for their unlimited everything plan and plans as affordable as $5.

There's no contracts, no sneaky fees, and you can upgrade, downgrade, change plans whenever you want. Just go to tello.com slash george and you'll get an extra five bucks off their unlimited data plan for your first month of service. That's tello.com slash george or click the link in the description. Today's video is also sponsored by Delete Me. You know those weird shady sites that sell your personal info for a profit?

Well, Delete Me is out there to be the hero and get that information off the web. They'll find or remove your info from hundreds of data broker sites and send you an easy-to-read report showing you what they did and how much time they've saved you. They've already saved me 44 hours it would have taken me to do the work themselves.

myself. So help protect yourself from the risks of online scams with Delete Me. And right now, thanks to me, you can get 20% off any of their plans by going to joindeleteme.com slash george or click the link in the description below. Now, for those of you who are advanced in age with a few gray hairs and a favorite podiatrist, if these numbers scare you as much as your discolored bunion, remember, this is what you would need to retire with $2.5 million and $100,000 annual income.

but you can totally retire with less. I mean, you don't need $100,000 a year to live. Just run the numbers and come up with a goal that's right for you. Plus, if you're following the Ramsey plan like I am, you won't have a mortgage and you won't have debt payments when you retire, which plays a big role in your retirement income and expenses.

And while tax rates may go up over time, if you've prioritized investing in Roth accounts, like I always say to do, you won't have to worry as much about that because you can withdraw that money tax-free. You already paid the piper, which in this case is the IRS, not the actual pied piper from the fairy tale. That guy drowned rats and stole kids. It's grim stuff.

Oh yeah, and social security is probably going to be adding to your income as well. But don't rely on that because who knows what's gonna happen with it. Just think of that as icing on the cake if you do get it. Hey, maybe you can use that money to buy some hard candy to pass out to the kids at church. Now for those of you who are young enough to know the cry laughing emoji is choogy, number one, respect your elders. And number two, take note of how much time makes a difference in this equation.

It's huge. So start investing as soon as you're financially ready, which is when you're debt free with three to six months of expenses, save for emergencies. And one more thing, let's take another look at that graphic from earlier. Nope, not that graphic. Although it is true, different graphic. Okay, let's take a look at this graphic.

If you're 20, you'd need to save $196 each month to reach 2.5 million by 67. But that doesn't mean that's how much you should be saving. No matter what age you are, I recommend investing 15% of your income into retirement. Then once your house is paid off, you can start dumping even more money into those accounts until you hit your yearly minimum.

legal max. So if you're 30 and make the average salary of $56,000 a year, that's $700 you'd be putting into your 401k every month. Even if you never got a raise and never increased your monthly contributions, you'd still hit that 2.5 million mark by age 65.

That's amazing. But why stop there? If you keep going until you're 67, just two more years, you'd retire with just over $3.2 million. That's a $700,000 increase in just two years, thanks to compound growth. So the lesson here is that when you invest early and consistently, that compound interest can make miracles happen. Well, at least financial miracles. There's nothing that can save Quiznos fall from grace now, so don't get your hopes up. We love these thugs!

Now, if you're just getting started and you're feeling behind, don't freak out. You may need to save more each month and take advantage of catch-up contributions, but you still have some time to get that account balance up and retire with dignity. Just head over to our investment calculator and plug in your own numbers to see how much you'd need to save to reach your ideal retirement income. Again, I will link that below. Listen, to build any kind of wealth, you need a long-term mindset. Discipline, simplicity, consistency, and time is what

There's a lot here to be excited about. I think this could be very positive for our society and economy.

Don't forget to like this video, subscribe to this channel, and please share this with every Gen Z-er you know who still has literally decades to invest in their retirement. Seriously, it could make them a multimillionaire. And share it with your favorite podiatrist. They love a good bunion joke. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. I stand corrected, said the man in the orthopedic shoes. Podiatrist humor. You wouldn't get it.