How much you should have saved by age 50, according to financial experts—and 3 steps to take if you're behind
Many Americans are anxious about their savings, especially as they approach retirement age.
Over half of Gen Xers, those aged 45 to 60, say they have no more than three times their current annual income saved for retirement, according to a study commissioned by life insurance and financial planning provider Northwestern Mutual.
This is significantly less than a benchmark set by Fidelity, one of the largest retirement plan providers in the U.S., which advises accumulating six times your current annual income by age 50 if you anticipate retiring at 67.
Other experts take a different view. There's no magic number when it comes to saving for retirement, says Nathan Sebesta, a certified financial planner and owner of Artesia, New Mexico-based financial services firm Access Wealth Strategies.
How much you anticipate spending every year of retirement and when you decide to retire can greatly affect how much you should have saved, Sebesta says. For example, those who plan on retiring later, as well as downsizing and living more frugally, may need less than Fidelity's benchmark, the report said.
Additionally, the baseline amount you need can vary by as much as $1.49 million depending on what state you decide to retire in, according to an analysis by GOBankingRates earlier this year.
To figure out how much you need, Sebesta recommends working backward. Start by deciding how much annual income you'll want in retirement and estimate how long you'll need that yearly income for. After taking that total and adjusting for inflation, you can determine how much you need to save each year and how your investments need to grow to hit that goal.
If you're still feeling behind, Sebesta says there are a few other strategies you can consider to catch up and retire comfortably.
"Don't panic," Sebesta says. "Start where you are and as soon as you can."
While you can start claiming Social Security benefits as early as age 62, doing so means you'll receive a permanently reduced benefit. Alternatively, if you delay claiming benefits beyond full retirement age — 67 for Americans born after 1960 — your monthly payments could increase significantly, Sebesta says.
For every year you wait up to age 70, your benefit grows by about 8%. That means someone born after 1960 who waits until 70 could receive up to 24% more than they would at 67.
Once you turn 50, the Internal Revenue Service allows you to contribute more to various retirement plans in catch-up contributions. If you have a workplace retirement plan like a 401(k) or 403(b), you can contribute an extra $7,500 beyond the standard limit of $23,500, for a total of $31,000 in 2025.
For those with an individual retirement account, the 2025 contribution limit is $7,000, plus an extra $1,000 in catch-up contributions for those 50 and older.
These extra contributions not only help boost retirement savings but can also reduce your taxable income, which is especially valuable during high earning years in your 50s and 60s, Sebesta adds.
Catch-up contributions are "definitely a neat benefit for people looking for more savings," Sebesta says, but they won't work for everyone: "You've got to be willing to put the money into the plan as well." If you haven't consistently contributed over the years or are struggling to keep enough cash on hand, finding the extra money to take advantage of these higher limits may be difficult.
While it's not the ideal scenario, if you're significantly behind on retirement savings and working on paying off debt, Sebesta says you may have to consider lowering your expected lifestyle in retirement.
If you have 10 to 15 years left to plan, the focus may need to shift to paying off debt and getting to a point where you can live on less in retirement, Sebesta says. This may look like scaling back on expenses, downsizing your lifestyle or living in a more affordable area.
The last option would be to continue working in retirement. "No one ever dreams of that goal," Sebesta says. "But if they do delay for so long and are not able to catch up completely, that might be, sadly, one of the realistic opportunities that they would have."
,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Small businesses struggle under Trump's tariff whiplash: ‘I'm so angry that my own government has done this to me'
For some small businesses, the last week brought even more twists and turns to the past two months of President Donald Trump's chaotic tariffs. The situation was already confusing, with stops and starts of tariffs at different levels. Then on Wednesday, a US court said Trump overstepped his authority in imposing most of those import levies – only for an appeals court on Thursday to pause the previous court's ruling. The confusion has made it challenging for some small companies to plan, business owners told CNN. In certain cases, they have had to consider changing their product strategy, looking into shifting their supply chains, reducing staff hours or delaying products. 'My fear is, if this continues, there's going to be like the mass extinction of small businesses,' Julie Robbins, CEO of Ohio-based guitar pedal maker EarthQuaker Devices, told CNN. Trump announced blanket tariffs across the globe on April 2, and since then, his plans have changed on a regular basis. In early April, he issued a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs almost everywhere except China. Then, after ratcheting up total tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, he declared smartphones and certain other electronics would be exempt from the reciprocal tariffs. The US and China agreed in May to roll back reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. And in late May, he threatened smartphone makers like Apple with 25% tariffs if they don't make their phones in the US. He also agreed to push back levies on imports from the European Union until July 9. Those are only some of his changes, which can come at any time of day via the White House, social media posts or other avenues. The whiplash has been hard for companies to keep up with. Even major brands like apparel giant Gap are feeling the impact of tariffs, but small companies with far fewer resources are in an even tougher spot. The National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Optimism Index fell by 1.6 points in April, dipping below the 51-year average for the second consecutive month. The organization's chief economist, Bill Dunkelberg, cited uncertainty as a 'major impediment' for small business owners in a press release. 'It's the sort of more smaller, kind of more niche… brands that are going to really, really get hit by this,' Jack Leathem, an analyst at market research firm Canalys, told CNN in April. Some small business owners have had to make difficult decisions as they've grappled with the impact of tariffs. EveAnna Manley, whose company Manley Labs makes high-end electronics for recording studios, has had to cut her employees' hours by 25%. The reciprocal tariffs that China imposed on the US have been particularly challenging, she says, since China has become a major market for her business. Manley says it took 'decades' for her to 'get the best Chinese importers.' Overall, Manley Labs' sales are down more than 19% compared to last year, she told CNN, which has frozen the company's product development efforts. 'It's just a freaking mess right now,' she said in late May, before this past week's court rulings on Trump's tariffs. 'And I'm so angry that my own government has done this to me.' The best thing small businesses can do right now is to be flexible and diversify their sourcing and procurement strategies, says Tala Akhavan, chief operating officer of Pietra, a platform that helps brands with sourcing, production and logistics among other services. That's what Intuition Robotics, which makes a home robot designed to be a companion for older adults, is doing, according to chief strategy officer Assaf Gad. The company also makes money off its digital subscription accounts, according to Gad, giving it the flexibility to look into a 'plan B' outside of China for producing the company's hardware. Sudden changes in tariff policies haven't really impacted the company's decisions because it's planning for the next nine to 12 months rather than the short term, he said in mid-May. Trump's tariffs have encouraged Gad to think about expanding Intuition Robotics into international markets. 'Maybe this is also a good time to say, 'Let's not put all the eggs in one basket,'' he said, 'and, you know, start looking on other kind of territories that will reduce the risk for us going forward.' But for some companies, finding a plan B isn't so easy. That's the case for Sarah O'Leary, CEO of Willow, which makes wearable breast pumps and accessories. As a medical device company, Willow can't simply just move its manufacturing, O'Leary told CNN. The company had to pause exporting one product it produces in China for postpartum recovery at one point because it became too expensive. The ruling on Wednesday aiming to block many tariffs brought some relief, O'Leary said in an emailed statement on Thursday evening. But she acknowledged that there's still 'so much uncertainty,' adding that 'the chaos will persist.' Any tariffs, even low ones, would be difficult for a small company like hers to absorb, she said in mid-May. 'We don't build our products with that much margin,' she said. 'And so, unfortunately, we are in a position where we have to evaluate what we can do to survive in those contexts.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
29 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Fed Chair Powell has closed door meeting at the White House on interest rate cuts
Federal Reserve Bank Chair Jerome Powell stayed the course after being summoned to an economic woodshed at the White House by President Trump, who has been vocal about demands that the Fed ax interest rates. The May 29 faceoff was Powell's first visit to the White House during Trump's second tour. In a statement, Powell's office said the meeting's agenda was to "to discuss economic developments, including for growth, employment, and inflation." Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Both sides said the meeting was at the invitation of the president, who told Powell in person what he's been saying and tweeting for months: the Fed's refusal to cut interest rates was a "mistake" damaging the economy. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System voted unanimously in early May to approve the establishment of the primary credit rate at the existing level of 4.5% – which means interest rates for lenders, consumers and the rest of Americans won't be budging in the near term, much to the dismay of the Trump administration. This stance "will be updated as appropriate to reflect decisions of the Federal Open Market Committee or the Board of Governors regarding details of the Federal Reserve's operational tools and approach to implement monetary policy," the central bank said in a statement. XinhuaTrump's repeated demands underscore the volatility of U.S. trade policy and provide another flash point for global worries about fiscal policy, which have sent bond yields sharply higher. The whiplashed tariffs, primarily those against China and the E.U., add to economic jitters, Related: Fed official sends strong message about interest-rate cuts Since April 2, or "Liberation Day," tariff threats and trade jitters have spooked buyers and sellers into a seemingly endless roller-coaster ride. Many market, economic, and financial experts have begun publicly warning of a recession within a few months, while others predict a nation stuck in a nasty stagflation. The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate to target low inflation and unemployment. The central bank can raise interest rates to slow inflation, which can cause unemployment. Or it can cut rates to boost job growth, but that can cause inflation. Monetary and stock market experts expect the Fed will lower interest rates by one quarter point in September. Trump told Powell in their meeting he wanted the cuts sooner. Related: Jamie Dimon sends terse message on stocks, economy The Fed's statement following the White House meeting said Powell "did not discuss his expectations for monetary policy, except to stress that the path of policy will depend entirely on incoming economic information and what that means for the outlook." A White House spokeswoman agreed with the statement, but added that the president pressed for immediate action to lower the rates. Powell also said in the Fed statement that he and his colleagues will set monetary policy "as required by law, to support maximum employment and stable prices and will make those decisions based solely on careful, objective, and non-political analysis." Powell will give the opening remarks June 2 at the Federal Reserve Board's International Finance (IF) Division 75th Anniversary Conference, Washington, D.C. The conference will feature a series of panel discussions focused on the division's history and people, as well as an academic panel and presentations by former IF economists. Related: Veteran fund manager who predicted April rally updates S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Business Wire
44 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Faraday Future Holds First Annual Stockholders' Day, Company Provides FX Product Updates, Confirms FX Super One Launch Timing, and Secures 600 New Deposits from Multi-Channel Network (MCN) Agencies
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFAI) ('Faraday Future', 'FF' or 'Company'), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, held its first Annual Stockholders' Day on Saturday, May 31, at the Company's global headquarters in Los Angeles. Attendees included stockholders and other Company guests who experienced Company presentations and updates, and personalized FF and FX vehicle ride and drive experiences. The event also offered an open Q&A session with FF executives and a special private dinner after the event for stockholders, offering an exclusive opportunity to engage directly with Company leadership. Words of encouragement from some of the Company's newest B2B partners were also delivered at the event. 'I want to personally thank all of the guests for being here at our very first 'Annual Stockholders' Day. It was a genuine pleasure to extend a welcoming hand to everyone who attended this event,' said Co-CEO YT Jia. 'This was more than just another Company event, it showed our unwavering commitment to stockholder engagement, long-term value creation, and full commitment to our 'Stockholders-First' principle.' FX Product and Brand Updates The Company plans to host the first exclusive offline product launch event for the FX Super One on June 29, tailored for five key groups: FF stockholders and investors; B2B sales partners and prospects; global supply chain partners; media, influencers and KOLs; co-creation officers and celebrities. Subsequently, FX will host a large-scale public launch event on July 17, the 'Super One Online Global Product Launch,' targeting retail consumers and opening up the large-scale online B2C paid pre-orders. FX Super One has now officially entered the parts procurement and production preparation phase. Internally, we've already started the countdown sprint toward having our first production vehicle off-line by year-end. Development of our second model and future products is also progressing steadily and according to plan. The Company is seeing strong momentum with B2B pre-orders for the FX brand. With the latest paid pre-order agreements, totaling 600 units, signed with two MCN agencies: CreatoRev and Good Deal, total binding B2B deposits for FX Super One now cover over 2,500 non-binding pre-orders. This marks significant progress toward FX's goal to disrupt the market dominance of some leading market players such as the Cadillac Escalade. CreatoRev and Good Deal will also collaborate as paid co-creation partners, enhancing the AI-MPV experience. This deep co-creation with leading American MCNs marks a breakthrough and key innovation in FX's Co-Creation Ecosystem Online Direct Sales. Through this, we broke away from influencer advertising and pioneered an end-to-end B2B2C co-creation ecosystem model between an automaker and MCN-affiliated creators, a model that's never been seen before in the global auto industry. At this point, FX's B2B pre-orders now expand to three major categories: FF Par (Partner) program; commercial rental and livery companies; and livestream ecommerce MCN agencies. In the first phase, we are planning to expand our reach across eight U.S. states (California, New York, Florida, Texas, Washington, New Jersey, Neveda, and Massachusetts). FX is expecting to unveil the FX 4 product plan in Q3 2025 and begin accepting pre-orders before year end. Positioned as 'the disruptor of RAV4 in the AIEV era,' the FX 4 is the planned model with the greatest potential to become a true blockbuster and unlock the mainstream market within FX's current product lineup. Company Operation Updates On the user operations front, the Company is accelerating the digitalization, systemization, and IT integration of its user engagement ecosystem, a key accomplishment for the mass production and delivery of FX next year. On the after-sales service front, the Company is advancing the FX Service Par program, working to quickly establish collaborations with major automotive service providers, dealerships, and aftermarket partners. The Company is building a robust internal R&D system, especially centered on bringing much of the software and AI, bringing the core technologies, software, and AI capabilities in our $300,000 flagship FF 91 to the FX product line. In the second half of the year, our voice interaction system based on large language models and the full FF ecosystem of services could be deployed in the planned FX Super One and FX 4. The Company is working to complete the full-vehicle engineering, supply chain integration, testing and validation, mass production readiness, and U.S. regulatory compliance for the Super One and launching the hardware development of the FX 4. FF has successfully built a complete cycle for the FF 91—from product definition to after-sales support. Leveraging our 'Light, Swift, and Empowering' model, FX is able to complete this entire process in less time than the industry average. Middle East Updates As part of FF's global strategy, the Company's Middle East facility in Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) is now ready for occupancy. The local team will be taking over shortly, bringing international production capacity another step closer to reality. In the second half of the year, and contingent on available funding, FX aims to begin production of the FX Super One in the Middle East. The Middle East strategy presents four key values: Faster and more streamlined compliance processes; A high concentration of high net-worth users with strong demand for luxury business-class vehicles like the Super One; A critical opportunity to train our teams and validate our operational systems in preparation for large-scale U.S. market execution; and Visibility from FX's production, sales, and delivery, which will demonstrate our value and could bring strategic investors to the region. ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE Faraday Future is a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company. Founded in 2014, the Company's mission is to disrupt the automotive industry by creating a user-centric, technology-first, and smart driving experience. Faraday Future's flagship model, the FF91, exemplifies its vision for luxury, innovation, and performance. The new FX strategy aims to introduce mass production models equipped with state-of-the-art luxury technology similar to the FF 91, targeting a broader market with middle-to-low price range offerings. FF is committed to redefining mobility through AI innovation. Join us in shaping the future of intelligent transportation. For more information, please visit FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release includes 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words 'plan to,' 'can,' 'will,' 'should,' 'future,' 'potential,' and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding future partnerships, joint ventures and fundraising, plans and projections for the FX brand, including by not limited to the planned Super One and FX 4, future FX models, future FX reservations, use of capital and 10b5-1 purchase plans, are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others: the ability to convert pre-orders into sales, none of which are binding; market demand for MPVs and MPV rentals; the Company's ability to secure the necessary funding to execute on its AI, EREV and Faraday X (FX) strategies, each of which will be substantial; the Company's ability to design and develop EREV technology; the Company's ability to design and develop AI-based solutions; competition in the AI and EREV areas, where actual or potential competitors have or are likely to have substantial advantages relative to the Company, including but not limited to experience, expertise, funding, infrastructure and personnel; the ability of the Company to execute across multiple concurrent strategies, including the UAE, bridge strategy, or FX, EREV, AI, and US geographic expansion; the Company's ability to secure necessary agreements to license third-party range extender technology and/or license or produce FX vehicles in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere, none of which have been secured; the Company's ability to homologate FX vehicles for sale in the U.S., the Middle East, or elsewhere; and the Company's ability to secure necessary permits at its Hanford, CA production facility; the potential impact of tariff policy; each executive's ability to cancel or amend his 10b5-1 purchase plan; potential volume limitations under Rule 144 or Rule 145 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Regulation M; the possible suspension of purchases due to a trading suspension, legal, regulatory or contractual restrictions; a subsequent determination that a 10b5-1 plan does not comply with Rule 10b5-1 or other applicable securities laws; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern and improve its liquidity and financial position; the Company's ability to pay its outstanding obligations; the Company's ability to remediate its material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and the risks related to the restatement of previously issued consolidated financial statements; the Company's limited operating history and the significant barriers to growth it faces; the Company's history of losses and expectation of continued losses; the success of the Company's payroll expense reduction plan; the Company's ability to execute on its plans to develop and market its vehicles and the timing of these development programs; the Company's estimates of the size of the markets for its vehicles and cost to bring those vehicles to market; the rate and degree of market acceptance of the Company's vehicles; the Company's ability to cover future warranty claims; the success of other competing manufacturers; the performance and security of the Company's vehicles; current and potential litigation involving the Company; the Company's ability to receive funds from, satisfy the conditions precedent of and close on the various financings described elsewhere by the Company; the result of future financing efforts, the failure of any of which could result in the Company seeking protection under the Bankruptcy Code; the Company's indebtedness; the Company's ability to use its 'at-the-market' program; insurance coverage; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company's products; potential negative impacts of a reverse stock split; potential cost, headcount and salary reduction actions may not be sufficient or may not achieve their expected results; circumstances outside of the Company's control, such as natural disasters, climate change, health epidemics and pandemics, terrorist attacks, and civil unrest; risks related to the Company's operations in China; the success of the Company's remedial measures taken in response to the Special Committee findings; the Company's dependence on its suppliers and contract manufacturer; the Company's ability to develop and protect its technologies; the Company's ability to protect against cybersecurity risks; and the ability of the Company to attract and retain employees, any adverse developments in existing legal proceedings or the initiation of new legal proceedings, and volatility of the Company's stock price. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the 'Risk Factors' section of the Company's Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC.
