How Much Money Do I Need To Retire?

An oft-quoted rule of thumb for retirement savings is that you need $1M to retire. Sadly, that rule is misguided and wrong.

The amount you need to retire is a number, not a rule of thumb. Some people need less than $1M. Most people need more. A lot more.

In my years of advising clients, I found the vast majority don’t know what that number is. And how can you know how to get there if you don’t know where you’re going?

That is why, many years ago, I created a retirement calculator for my investment advisory clients. Every client would fill out the worksheet. And then, knowing where they were, we could come up with a plan, together, for how to fill the gaps.

Webinar Fortunately, not everyone  had gaps. Occasionally, people were in much better shape than they thought.

Having this number is the cornerstone of any financial plan. Without it, you’re driving a car cross country with a blind-fold on. It’s a sure recipe for a wreck.

Using The SANE CRYPTO Retirement Calculator

NOTE: The  SANE CRYPTO Retirement Calculator is a Google Spreadsheet. If you don’t already have one, you will need a free account with Google to save a copy and edit the sheet for your specific situation.

Do this first… Open the spreadsheet, then go to File -> Make A Copy…  You will then be able to edit the copy as necessary. Cells shaded yellow are for user input. Tan cells calculate automatically.

 

 

In the first section, you will enter your current pre-tax income, years to retirement and an inflation rate. Each cell has a tool tip in the top right corner explain each term and give you guidance.

The second and third sections come at the “How Much Money Do I Need To Retire” question from two different angles. The second says “How much do I need to save to replace my current income?” This will tell you if you are on track, well on your way, or there is a gap we need to address.

By the way, those rules about only needing 70% of your income in retirement? That’s hogwash. That rule was for old people who sat on their porch a few years and then died. In my experience, my clients plan to spend at least as much. In a perfect world, most would like to spend more!

The third section looks at it the other way. It says, “What would be the income I could take from my portfolio if I made X return until retirement?” This does two things: 1) It translates your current assets into a number you can eat; and 2) It allows you to play with different return assumptions to see how much or little you need to make to meet your goals.

Need To Close The Gap? Add A Little Buffer?

An important rule of investing is to never take risk you don’t need to take. If you are well on your way, you may find you could afford to dial back your investments, take a little less risk, and still have plenty to live on.

But, the reality is, for most people, this is a race they will have to push hard the entire time. It’s usually a sprint all the way to the finish line. If you find there is a gap between where you are and where you want to be, that is common.

Which is exactly why I am so excited by cryptocurrency…

If, after doing your numbers, you find a gap that needs filling, I would strongly recommend you register for my free online training, How A Little, Little Bit of Bitcoin Can Make Your Retirement Savings Go A Lot, Lot Further.

Most people think of cryptocurrency as risky. That is only because they don’t understand it.

I think it may be a god-send for the millions of Baby Boomers who need help getting over that finish line. In fact, I am so excited by it, I came out of my own early retirement to help Baby Boomers get in it.

Register today and see for yourself why every Baby Boomer needs a little exposure to cryptocurrency. It could be just what the doctor ordered to catapult you across that retirement finish line.

Whether or not you agree, if you have a gap to fill, you at least owe it to yourself to consider it as a possible solution from an informed position. What have you got to lose?