Aug 25, 2023
Almost no one is prepared for retirement.
At least, that’s the story the statistics tell. The average 401(k) balance in 2022 was just $112,572, according to data from Vanguard. That’s barely enough to cover your living expenses for two years in many parts of the country.
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The statistics are even more grim when you sort them by age group. Younger Americans have struggled to save over the years and now the average Vanguard client under the age of 35 has only $30,017 in their account.
Bear in mind that these are averages. That means the numbers are skewed by some people who may have tremendous savings in their accounts. In fact, Fidelity Investments recently revealed that over 299,000 of their clients have over $1 million in their 401(k)s. That’s roughly 1.4% of all their accounts and a 10% jump from the quarter before.
Simply put, accumulating a million dollars in a retirement account isn’t easy. But it is achievable with some simple steps. Here’s a closer look.
Max out your accounts
Only 40% of the American workforce participates in the 401(k) program offered by their employers. That means a significant number of workers are missing out on the tax benefit — and so the retirement gap increases.
This is why the first step to being a 401(k) millionaire is to understand the program and maximize your use of it. Speak to a financial expert, account or your employer to see how you can participate and use this program to its full benefit.
Under IRS guidelines, the maximum contribution room for an employee is $22,500 for 2023. Employees over the age of 50 can make extra “catch-up” contributions under some circumstances, and there’s also a limit on how much the employer can match contributions.
Do your research and figure out how you can use this plan to boost your retirement.
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Trust the market
The 401(k) program is designed to be flexible: you can invest the contributed funds in any financial instrument. Most companies offer a range of options such as mutual funds, and they may include index funds, large-cap and small-cap funds, foreign funds, real estate funds and bond funds.
Investing in stocks could be the key to millionaire status for most savers. The S&P 500 has delivered a 10.13% compounded annual return from 1957 through Dec. 31, 2022. This double-digit growth rate has helped thousands of employees accumulate more than a million dollars in their 401(k).
Of course, past performance is not an indicator of future returns. But any investor seeking long-term growth in their net worth should certainly consider the track record of the stock market.
Stay invested for the long-term
Maxing out your 401(k) and investing in the stock market isn’t enough. For the power of compounding to have a tangible impact, you need to remain invested for extended periods. That means employing consistent dollar-cost averaging — i.e., repeatedly and regularly putting the same amount of money in the same investments over extended periods of time — regardless of market conditions.
A consistent and disciplined approach could take your 401(k) account beyond seven figures over time.
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Vishesh Raisinghani is a financial journalist covering personal finance, investing and the global economy. He's also the founder of Sharpe Ascension Inc., a content marketing agency focused on investment firms. His work has appeared in Moneywise, Yahoo Finance!, Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine and Piggybank.
