Average Retirement Income

How Much Will You Need in Retirement?

Rather than rely on an average figure, you can arrive at a custom target by starting with your retirement goals. Do you plan on maintaining your current lifestyle, or do you want to enhance it? Retirement goals can differ significantly, which means retirement income needs can vary significantly.

Retirement expenses fall into two categories: non-discretionary and discretionary.

• Non-discretionary expenses include essential needs and associated costs. Basic living expenses, health care, insurance, debt and taxes fall into this category. Generally, these costs are unavoidable and, with the exception of health care, are more likely to be fixed over time.
• Discretionary expenses are more flexible because they reflect wants instead of needs. Nevertheless, discretionary expenses may represent important lifestyle enhancements or goals. The good news is you should be able to dial back your discretionary spending if necessary. But estimating discretionary funds you might want after you retire and beginning to save now is usually a good start.

Once you figure out how much you might need to cover your non-discretionary and discretionary expenditures during retirement, don’t forget to factor in the impact of inflation and your investment time horizon when determining your longer-term income and cash flow needs.

• Inflation can erode your purchasing power over time. Since 1925, inflation has averaged approximately 3% a year.¹ So if you currently require $50,000 to cover annual living expenses, you would need almost $90,000 in 20 years just to maintain the same purchasing power, should the average inflation rate continue.
• Investment time horizon is another important factor when planning for retirement. You could potentially live longer than people did in previous generations. This means your savings need to last longer after you retire. Additionally, your investment time horizon may extend beyond your lifespan if you have a younger spouse or wish to leave a financial legacy for family members or charity.

Average Retirement Income: Not the Best Way to Plan for Your Retirement

The average retirement income may hold little relevance for your personal situation, needs and goals. As such, relying on an average figure may put your long-term goals at risk.

Rather, your personal situation is likely defined by variables specific to you, including your retirement needs and wants, your rate of savings and any dependents.

Furthermore, a national or state average doesn’t anticipate changes likely to occur throughout retirement, such as the need to increase or decrease withdrawals, unexpected health changes or expenses that could affect your income needs.

The takeaway? Planning for the average retirement income or using it to project your retirement income needs is probably not the best strategy. A personalized plan is more likely to keep you comfortable in your retirement years.

Are You On Track to Enjoy a Comfortable Retirement?

With careful planning, you may be able to achieve the retirement lifestyle you envision.

If you aren’t sure how to proceed or need help getting started with your retirement plan, speak with a financial adviser at Fisher Investments to learn more about planning for retirement.

¹Source: FactSet, as of 5/14/2025; from 12/31/1925 to 12/31/2024, average annualized inflation was 2.96% based on the US BLS Consumer Price Index.