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What It Actually Takes to Retire in the Top 3% (Spoiler: It's Not as Much as You Think)

MarketDash Editorial Team
2 days ago
Most people worry they haven't saved enough for retirement, but hitting $1 million in retirement accounts puts you ahead of 96.8% of retirees. The real wealth gap, though, isn't about your 401(k) balance—it's about whether you own a home.

You've done everything right. Maxed out the 401(k) contributions, paid down the mortgage, resisted the urge to lease that luxury SUV your neighbor drives. But now, staring down retirement in your late 50s or early 60s, there's still that nagging question: Did I save enough? Am I actually ahead of the game, or just treading water?

Here's the reality check you might not expect: if you've managed to squirrel away $1 million in retirement accounts, you're in the top 3.2% of retirees. That's right—only about 3 out of every 100 people retiring today have cracked the million-dollar mark in their retirement savings. And if you're sitting on $5 million or more? You're basically a unicorn. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 retirees reach that level, according to the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.

The million-dollar benchmark still carries weight in our collective imagination, but what's fascinating is how rare it actually is. And when you look at what most people have saved, the picture gets even more interesting.

The Average Looks Good Until You See the Median

Empower's data analysis reveals that the average 401(k) balance for people in their 60s hovers around $574,000. Not bad, right? But here's where averages can mislead you. The median balance for that same age group sits at just $186,902. That means half of all retirement savers in their 60s have less than 20% of that aspirational million-dollar goal.

Even during peak earning years in your 50s, the numbers tell a similar story. Average savings hit $635,000, but the median is only around $253,000. Those higher averages exist because a small percentage of high-income households pull the numbers way up. The middle of the distribution—where most of us actually live—paints a much more modest picture.

Financial planners typically recommend aiming for 7.5 to 13.5 times your final salary before you retire. So if you're earning $100,000 a year, you're looking at a target range between $750,000 and $1.35 million. Achievable? Sure. Easy? Absolutely not.

The Real Wealth Gap Isn't About Your 401(k)

But here's the twist that often gets overlooked in retirement planning discussions: your retirement account balance only tells part of the story. The biggest wealth divide in America isn't between people who picked the right stocks or bought into the hottest ETF. It's between homeowners and renters.

According to the Federal Reserve data, the median wealth gap between homeowners and renters has reached nearly $390,000. The average difference? A staggering $1.37 million. Over the past three decades, homeowner wealth has climbed steadily, fueled by rising property values and the opportunity to refinance during those ultra-low interest rate periods we saw in the 2010s and during the pandemic. Renters, meanwhile, have been paying more each year for housing while building exactly zero equity.

The numbers are stark. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, the median financial wealth of homeowners jumped from $60,000 to $85,000. Renters during that same period? Still sitting under $1,000. In fact, for over 30 years, renter median financial wealth has barely moved, ranging from just $400 to $1,200.

This disparity isn't just about appreciation on a house. It's about cash flow. When you own your home, especially once that mortgage is paid off, you free up income for other investments. Renters often spend more than 30% of their income on housing, leaving precious little left over to save, invest, or build any kind of financial cushion.

A New Way to Close the Gap

The traditional path to homeownership isn't realistic for everyone, especially if you're playing catch-up on retirement savings. But here's where things have changed: you no longer need a massive down payment to access real estate investing. Today, investors can purchase fractional shares in income-producing rental homes for as little as $100.

It's not a magic solution, but for people approaching retirement or trying to diversify their income streams, it offers something valuable: passive income that builds over time without the headaches of being a landlord yourself.

Systemic solutions like zoning reform and increasing housing supply are still needed to address the wealth gap across generations. But for individual households making retirement decisions right now, fractional real estate investing offers a practical way to participate in the asset class that's created the most significant wealth divide in the country.

So Where Does That Leave You?

If you've built solid retirement savings, accumulated home equity, and you're still thinking strategically about your financial future, you may already be on track to land in that top 3%. Not because you timed the market perfectly or found some secret investment strategy. But because you stayed consistent.

In today's economy, where financial anxiety seems to be the default setting and every other headline promises shortcuts to wealth, consistency might just be the most underrated financial superpower there is. You don't need to be extraordinary to end up ahead. You just need to be persistent.

Back to Stock Market News

What It Actually Takes to Retire in the Top 3% (Spoiler: It's Not as Much as You Think)

MarketDash Editorial Team
2 days ago
Most people worry they haven't saved enough for retirement, but hitting $1 million in retirement accounts puts you ahead of 96.8% of retirees. The real wealth gap, though, isn't about your 401(k) balance—it's about whether you own a home.

You've done everything right. Maxed out the 401(k) contributions, paid down the mortgage, resisted the urge to lease that luxury SUV your neighbor drives. But now, staring down retirement in your late 50s or early 60s, there's still that nagging question: Did I save enough? Am I actually ahead of the game, or just treading water?

Here's the reality check you might not expect: if you've managed to squirrel away $1 million in retirement accounts, you're in the top 3.2% of retirees. That's right—only about 3 out of every 100 people retiring today have cracked the million-dollar mark in their retirement savings. And if you're sitting on $5 million or more? You're basically a unicorn. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 retirees reach that level, according to the latest Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances.

The million-dollar benchmark still carries weight in our collective imagination, but what's fascinating is how rare it actually is. And when you look at what most people have saved, the picture gets even more interesting.

The Average Looks Good Until You See the Median

Empower's data analysis reveals that the average 401(k) balance for people in their 60s hovers around $574,000. Not bad, right? But here's where averages can mislead you. The median balance for that same age group sits at just $186,902. That means half of all retirement savers in their 60s have less than 20% of that aspirational million-dollar goal.

Even during peak earning years in your 50s, the numbers tell a similar story. Average savings hit $635,000, but the median is only around $253,000. Those higher averages exist because a small percentage of high-income households pull the numbers way up. The middle of the distribution—where most of us actually live—paints a much more modest picture.

Financial planners typically recommend aiming for 7.5 to 13.5 times your final salary before you retire. So if you're earning $100,000 a year, you're looking at a target range between $750,000 and $1.35 million. Achievable? Sure. Easy? Absolutely not.

The Real Wealth Gap Isn't About Your 401(k)

But here's the twist that often gets overlooked in retirement planning discussions: your retirement account balance only tells part of the story. The biggest wealth divide in America isn't between people who picked the right stocks or bought into the hottest ETF. It's between homeowners and renters.

According to the Federal Reserve data, the median wealth gap between homeowners and renters has reached nearly $390,000. The average difference? A staggering $1.37 million. Over the past three decades, homeowner wealth has climbed steadily, fueled by rising property values and the opportunity to refinance during those ultra-low interest rate periods we saw in the 2010s and during the pandemic. Renters, meanwhile, have been paying more each year for housing while building exactly zero equity.

The numbers are stark. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, the median financial wealth of homeowners jumped from $60,000 to $85,000. Renters during that same period? Still sitting under $1,000. In fact, for over 30 years, renter median financial wealth has barely moved, ranging from just $400 to $1,200.

This disparity isn't just about appreciation on a house. It's about cash flow. When you own your home, especially once that mortgage is paid off, you free up income for other investments. Renters often spend more than 30% of their income on housing, leaving precious little left over to save, invest, or build any kind of financial cushion.

A New Way to Close the Gap

The traditional path to homeownership isn't realistic for everyone, especially if you're playing catch-up on retirement savings. But here's where things have changed: you no longer need a massive down payment to access real estate investing. Today, investors can purchase fractional shares in income-producing rental homes for as little as $100.

It's not a magic solution, but for people approaching retirement or trying to diversify their income streams, it offers something valuable: passive income that builds over time without the headaches of being a landlord yourself.

Systemic solutions like zoning reform and increasing housing supply are still needed to address the wealth gap across generations. But for individual households making retirement decisions right now, fractional real estate investing offers a practical way to participate in the asset class that's created the most significant wealth divide in the country.

So Where Does That Leave You?

If you've built solid retirement savings, accumulated home equity, and you're still thinking strategically about your financial future, you may already be on track to land in that top 3%. Not because you timed the market perfectly or found some secret investment strategy. But because you stayed consistent.

In today's economy, where financial anxiety seems to be the default setting and every other headline promises shortcuts to wealth, consistency might just be the most underrated financial superpower there is. You don't need to be extraordinary to end up ahead. You just need to be persistent.