How Much Money Should You Be Saving Every Month at Age 40?

As we grow older, retirement starts to loom large, and the importance of financial planning becomes ever more essential. If you're 30 years old today, you may think it's too early to worry about how much to save for retirement. But, as the saying goes, time flies! Before you know it, you could be approaching 40 and still have no concrete plans for retirement. So, if you are 40, it's time to take things more seriously, and consider how much you need to save in order to retire comfortably.

How much do you need in retirement?

First things first, you need to figure out how much money you will need for a comfortable retirement if you plan to retire at age 65. There are several rules of thumb you can use to help you get started:

• The final multiple: You should save roughly 10-12 times your current annual income. For example, if you're earning $80,000 annually, you should aim to save $800,000 to $960,000 by the time you retire.
• The pacing angle: You should save a multiple of your annual income at your current age. If you are 40, you should have accumulated three times your current income for retirement. By retirement age, this amount will be 10-12 times your income.
• The seamless transition: You should save enough to replace 60% to 100% of your pre-retirement annual income. This rule takes into account the reduced expenses associated with employment and housing, as well as the potential increase in healthcare costs.
• The 4% rule: The 4% rule was meant to tell you how much you could withdraw from your retirement portfolio, but we can use it to determine how much you need at retirement. Here is the altered equation: Desired retirement income ÷ 4% = how much you need saved by desired retirement age. If you want to have $50,000 per year in retirement, you would need $1,250,000 by the time you are 65 and ready to retire.

How much should you save?

Once you have an estimated figure in mind, it's time to crunch some numbers. Let's assume that our hypothetical 40-year-old has $100,000 (average savings for 35 to 44 year olds) saved in their retirement account and wants to retire with $1,250,000.

If the person plans to retire at 65, they have 25 years to save up that extra $1,150,000. To be precise, they need to save $142 per month, assuming they are earning 10% annually on their investments.

If you don't have any savings yet, you'll need to start off by saving more each month than someone who already has an existing nest egg. In this case, you need to save $1,060 per month.

If you started earlier, you wouldn't need to save as much. But if you are 40 and still have 25 years before retirement, you still have plenty of time to invest and take advantage of compound interest.

How should you save?

If a typical 40-year-old plans to put aside money every month, they'll need to have a solid plan in place, such as investing in index funds through a 401(k). Many employers offer 401(k) matching, which means that they also contribute to your retirement account up to a certain percentage of your salary.

The most common employer match is $0.50 on the dollar of up to 6% of your salary. For example, if you have an annual salary of $50,000 and contribute 6%, your contribution will be $3,000 and your employer's 50% match will be $1,500 ($3,000 x 50%), for a total of $4,500.

At a 10% annual return, the employer's contribution over 25 years will amount to $150,000 alone! It is essential to take advantage of this opportunity and maximize the amount that your employer will match. If you don't, you're essentially throwing away free money.

If your work doesn't offer a 401(k), you can open up a Roth IRA or traditional IRA. The benefit of investing through a 401(k) or traditional IRA is that you get certain upfront tax benefits.

What should you invest in?

Index funds and ETFs are popular options for retirement investing. Index funds are a type of mutual fund that follows the performance of a particular index, such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

These funds offer an opportunity to invest in a wide range of stocks, without the need for extensive research or individual stock selection. Additionally, index funds and ETFs typically have lower fees compared to actively managed funds, allowing you to keep more of your hard-earned money.

Bear in mind that stock market returns are not guaranteed. However, historical data tells us that stocks have fetched an average annual return of 10% before inflation. In the past, some years have yielded higher returns, while others had negative returns. It's important to keep yourself informed and have a backup plan for the worst-case scenario.

Saving for retirement is an essential aspect of your financial planning and should be a high priority. It is important to understand how much money you need to save and invest each month to achieve your retirement goals. With a little time, patience, and planning, you can make your retirement vision a reality and ensure a happy, financially secure retirement. Remember, age is just a number, and it's never too late to start investing in your future.