How to Boost Retirement Savings with the $1,000-a-Month Rule - Slavic401k (2024)

Saving for retirement comes in many shapes and sizes, and strategies are not one-size-fits-all. Having a successful and beneficial retirement plan requires research, adjustments, and work from the participant.

Having a set-it-and-forget-it mindset when saving for retirement will only go so far. That’s why it’s important to try new approaches to make your money grow and work for you in the future. One example is the $1,000/month rule. Created by Wes Moss, a Certified Financial Planner, this strategy helps individuals visualize how much savings they should have in retirement. According to Moss, you should plan to have $240,000 saved for every $1,000 of disposable income in retirement.

As a general rule of thumb, you will withdraw approximately 5% of your retirement income every year for expenses. The Balance breaks down the numbers below:

Start with $240,000 and multiply it by 5%, which equals $12,000. Next, divide $12,000 by 12 months, which totals $1,000 per month.

Moss notes that this strategy is a rule of thumb, and depending on factors such as inflation, the stock market, Social Security, pensions, part-time work, and more, the total will vary throughout your lifetime.

Adjusting the Rule

Like most things in life, there are exceptions to the $1,000/month rule. For example, some people retire earlier than others, and some retire after the age of 62. Your retirement age will determine how much you should plan to withdraw each month, and will, therefore, impact the rule.

Someone who retires early in their 50s will have to withdraw smaller amounts each month for their retirement savings to last longer, and someone retiring after the age of 62 can afford to increase their spending.

Everyone – regardless of age – will have to watch market conditions and adjust accordingly as well. For example, years that experience high inflation will change the value of your dollar and require assessment and adjustment. The Balance notes that market changes will require individuals to adapt and change consistently, so be mindful of economic conditions.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Knowing that your strategy will continuously change throughout your life, and adjusting as needed, is key to a successful retirement plan. While 5% withdrawals every year will last approximately 20 years for the average participant, many will need funds for a longer period.

Investing, rather than only storing money in a savings account, can help your dollars stretch longer and puts your money to work for you. Some examples of supplemental savings include:

  • Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs): These accounts can be opened online through financial institutions like Fidelity and can easily be managed at your fingertips. The IRS sets contribution maximums for retirement accounts on an annual basis, and in 2024 the limits are listed as $7,000 for a Traditional IRA and $8,000 for those over the age of 50. If you can maximize these accounts every year, you can significantly improve your retirement savings for the future.
  • Health Savings Account (HSA): As you age, your health expenses will likely increase. Having an HSA can help you plan and cover those increasing costs with a tax-deductible account. In 2023, the contribution maximum was $3,850 for individuals and $7,750 for families. For participants over the age of 55, an extra $1,000 is added for catch-up contributions. By maximizing these accounts early, you will have health expenses covered in the future that won’t impact other areas of retirement savings, such as 401(k) plans, IRAs, and regular savings accounts.

Having a diverse savings strategy can help you pad current and future economic downturns, protecting cash and investments that can be used in retirement. Learn about the importance of diversifying your investments on the Slavic401k blog.

While saving for retirement does not have a one-size-fits-all approach, utilizing different methods, such as the $1,000/month rule, can help you reach your goals. Remember that saving, maximizing contributions, and planning will look different at various stages in your life, and utilizing resources like retirement calculators, can help you keep yourself on track financially.

Check out Slavic401k’s diverse catalog of calculators, including a retirement nest egg calculator and retirement planner calculator.

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How to Boost Retirement Savings with the $1,000-a-Month Rule - Slavic401k (2024)

FAQs

How to Boost Retirement Savings with the $1,000-a-Month Rule - Slavic401k? ›

As a general rule of thumb, you will withdraw approximately 5% of your retirement income every year for expenses. The Balance breaks down the numbers below: Start with $240,000 and multiply it by 5%, which equals $12,000. Next, divide $12,000 by 12 months, which totals $1,000 per month.

How much do I need in my 401k to get $1000 a month? ›

With the $1,000 per month rule, if you plan to withdraw 5% of your savings each year, you'll need at least $240,000 in savings. If you aim to take out $2,000 every month at a withdrawal rate of 5%, you'll need to set aside $480,000. For $3,000, you would aim to save $720,000.

How to grow your 401(k) fast? ›

Here are 10 ways of potentially optimizing your return:
  1. Save more than your employer's automatic savings rate.
  2. Get a 401(k) match.
  3. Stay until you are vested.
  4. Maximize your tax break.
  5. Diversify with a Roth 401(k).
  6. Don't cash out early.
  7. Rollover without fees.
  8. Minimize fees.
4 days ago

How long will $300,000 last in 401k? ›

Summary. $300,000 can last for roughly 26 years if your average monthly spend is around $1,600. Social Security benefits help bolster your retirement income and make retiring on $300k even more accessible. It's often recommended to have 10-12 times your current income in savings by the time you retire.

How long will $500000 in 401k last at retirement? ›

Yes, it is possible to retire comfortably on $500k. This amount allows for an annual withdrawal of $20,000 from the age of 60 to 85, covering 25 years. If $20,000 a year, or $1,667 a month, meets your lifestyle needs, then $500k is enough for your retirement.

What is the average 401k balance at age 65? ›

Average and median 401(k) balances by age
Age rangeAverage balanceMedian balance
35-44$76,354$28,318
45-54$142,069$48,301
55-64$207,874$71,168
65+$232,710$70,620
2 more rows
Mar 13, 2024

How many people have $1000000 in their 401k? ›

(TND) — A record number of people have reached $1 million in their 401(k) retirement accounts, according to Fidelity Investments. A Fidelity spokesperson Tuesday said they counted 485,000 such accounts as of the first quarter of the year, up 15% from the previous quarter and up 43% from a year ago.

Can I retire at 60 with 300k? ›

£300k in a pension isn't a huge amount to retire on at the fairly young age of 60, but it's possible for certain lifestyles depending on how your pension fund performs while you're retired and how much you need to live on.

Do the rich use a 401k? ›

According to Fidelity, there were 378,000 millionaires with 401(k) accounts in the second quarter of 2023, up 10% from the year-earlier period. (Fidelity also reported nearly 350,000 millionaires with IRA accounts, up 13%.)

How long does it take to get 100K in 401k? ›

According to the IRS, you can contribute up to $22,500 to your 401(k) for 2023. If you were to max out your 401(k) contributions every single year, it would take you just under five years to reach your $100K goal. Of course, maxing out your 401(k) isn't an easy task to accomplish given all of life's other expenses.

At what age should you have 100k in your 401k? ›

“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.

Can I retire at 62 with 300k in my 401k? ›

If you earned around $50,000 per year before retirement, the odds are good that a $300,000 retirement account and Social Security benefits will allow you to continue enjoying your same lifestyle. By age 55 the median American household has about $120,000 saved for retirement, and about $212,500 in net worth.

How to retire at 60 with no money? ›

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.

What's a good monthly retirement income? ›

Average Monthly Retirement Income

According to data from the BLS, average 2022 incomes after taxes were as follows for older households: 65-74 years: $63,187 per year or $5,266 per month. 75 and older: $47,928 per year or $3,994 per month.

How do millionaires live off interest? ›

Living off interest involves relying on what's known as passive income. This implies that your assets generate enough returns to cover your monthly income needs without the need for additional work or income sources. The ideal scenario is to use the interest and returns while preserving the core principal.

Is $1500 a month enough to retire on? ›

While $1,500 might not be enough for non-housing retirement expenses for many people, it doesn't mean it's impossible to stick to this or other amounts, such as if you're already retired and don't have the ability to increase your budget.

What is the $1000 a month rule for retirement? ›

According to this rule, one should aim to save $240,000 for every $1,000 of monthly income they anticipate requiring during retirement. To put it simply, if your retirement budget is projected to be $4,000 per month, then your savings goal would be $960,000 ($240,000 * 4).

How much money to generate $1000 per month? ›

Invest in Dividend Stocks

A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.

How long will it take my 401k to reach $1 million? ›

How Long Will Becoming a 401(k) Millionaire Take? If you invested $23,000 into your 401(k) each year and earned a consistent 8% return each year, you'd achieve a plan balance of $1 million in slightly under 20 years. Note that this does not factor in a potential employer match.

Can I retire with $300000 in my 401k? ›

If you earned around $50,000 per year before retirement, the odds are good that a $300,000 retirement account and Social Security benefits will allow you to continue enjoying your same lifestyle. By age 55 the median American household has about $120,000 saved for retirement, and about $212,500 in net worth.

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