I’m often asked what I think about the “4% rule” for spending in retirement. According to this rule of thumb, an individual who is planning on a 30-year investment horizon and is holding a broadly diversified and balanced investment portfolio of stocks and bonds, can—with a reasonably low probability of running out of money over 30 years—spend an amount equal to roughly 4% of their total retirement portfolio in the first year, and then adjust that withdrawal every year thereafter for inflation.
Here’s the good news: Half of Americans are “on track” financially for retirement.
The bad news? The other half aren’t. Read more »
The other day, I was preparing to record a podcast for Vanguard.com on life events and asset allocation. I decided to veer away from the predictable “retirement is a life event” theme and concentrate on marriage, children, and divorce as life events that should stimulate some serious consideration of your asset allocation.
Then I happened upon this Wall Street Journal article, which made me pause.
Ask a Vanguard investor about what it takes to be successful at saving for retirement, and he or she would probably tell you to start saving early, save as much as you can, invest in a low-cost diversified portfolio, and stick with your plan through thick and thin.
What’s the typical income of a U.S. retiree? $40,000? $50,000? Higher, lower?
It’s $31,157 as of 2008.
That’s the median income of households age 65 and older as reported by Pat Purcell of the Congressional Research Service. The median means that half of older households had a higher income, half lower. Technically, it’s not the income of “retirees,” because it includes the income of older households whether they are fully retired or still working. Still, it’s a good metric of the income of retired Americans.
