How much the average person at every age has in their 401(K) – how do your savings compare?

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Research has uncovered the average amount of money Americans of all age groups have accumulated in their 401(k) retirement accounts.

An investment management company called Vanguard extensively reviews data from millions of retirement savings accounts in the United States each year.

According to the findings, the total average balance across all age groups in 2024 is $134,128, whereas the median balance stands at $35,286.

Not everyone’s financial situation is the same, as “what you’ve saved will depend greatly on your income, your location, and your lifestyle too.”

to fund financial emergencies.

Based on Vanguard’s assessment, for individuals younger than 25, the typical savings amount is $7,351, whereas individuals between the ages of 25 and 34 tend to have a more substantial savings average of $37,557.

People between 35 and 44 years old tend to have an average savings balance of around $91,281 in their retirement funds, whereas individuals from 45 to 54 years of age have an average of $168,646.

US residents nearing retirement, that is, those between the ages of 55 and 64, generally have a nest egg totalling approximately $244,750.

According to Vanguard, at the age of 65 and above, the average US citizen holds approximately $272,588 in their 401(K) accounts.

By 2024, US citizens can invest as much as $23,000 annually into a 401(K) pension plan. If you began saving at 18, you could accumulate $966,000 in contributions by the time you turn 60.

Individuals 50 and above can also make an additional $7,500 contribution to their company-based retirement plan for this year.

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Many workplaces offer a financial incentive, specifically a contribution or match of employer-provided contributions, to encourage employees’ retirement savings.

If you’re concerned that your savings are lower than average for someone of your age group, there are a few measures you can take to address this situation.

One vital piece of advice is that you should always maximize your contribution to the match; failing to do so means leaving potential earnings uncollected.

This is also a feature, she said, that allows regular contributions to be set up automatically.

Occasionally, you can join something where your savings grow by one percent each year,” Kirby said. “It’s a bit like ‘set it and forget it.’ This can be quite beneficial.

She recommended putting any bonuses you earn at work into your retirement savings, and to boost your 401(k) contributions every time you receive a pay increase.

While individual retirement needs are unique, financial specialists recommend allocating 20 per cent of one’s gross income a good starting point for retirement savings.

A recent report from Morningstar, a prominent research and financial services company, discovered.

According to the research, about one in two households that retire at 65 will use up all their savings.


The probability plummets to 28 percent immediately if that age is raised to 70.

Retirement income from Social Security typically commences at the age of 67 for individuals born after 1960, alongside contributions from other retirement plans such as 401(K).

Yet, if you defer taking benefits beyond the full retirement age, the Social Security Administration will increase payments by 8 percent every year, up to age 70.

‘The evidence speaks for itself: Partaking of an employer-backed savings plan substantively reduces the likelihood of inadequate retirement sustenance.’

One key point to stress to young people is that even if they have a plan in place, using it would be better than not using it at all, as any savings would be better than none.

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