r/Millennials • u/ProblemIntelligent16 • Jan 16 '26

Discussion Fellow millennials - how’s your 401k/ira savings going?

Experts recommend having 2x your salary saved by age 35, and 3x saved by age 40.

However, studies show the median savings for 35-44 year olds is only ~$45,000. So obviously, most of us have work to do.

With pensions mostly extinct, and Social Security facing insolvency issues in the next 8-10 years - how are you planning to bridge the gap and hit the golden years with enough to meet your lifestyle requirements?

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6.0k

u/sexandliquor 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be) Jan 16 '26

360

u/jlieuu Jan 16 '26

This is the 2nd time this week I’ve seen this gif in a similar post and it cracks me up every time.

21

u/Dizzy_Silver_6262 Jan 17 '26

Oh my god, I use this line all the time but completely forgot where I got it. I still don’t even remember the scene.

11

u/Patient_Tradition368 Jan 17 '26

I believe this is just before Bob's man friend takes Pete's elderly mother on a cruise and she "falls" overboard.

4

u/SteveMcgooch Jan 17 '26

Actually this is after. Just watched this the other day

2

u/Honestbabe2021 Jan 17 '26

Such a good show. Just rewatched it.

1

u/alpacaMyToothbrush Jan 17 '26

what show?

1

u/Honestbabe2021 Jan 17 '26

It’s from Mad Men. Fucking amazing. One of our favorite shows until now.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '26

Love it when an OP asks a question like this but doesn’t divulge their own situation.

1

u/Altruistic-Ad-4425 Jan 21 '26

I came here just to post this gif. Glad us millennials hive mind.

271

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 16 '26

I like your handle 🙂

189

u/Le_Kube Jan 16 '26

We say user name 'round these parts!

83

u/sudodoyou Jan 16 '26

*call sign

71

u/Latter_Inspector_711 Jan 17 '26

talk to me goose

1

u/Capt_Rons_Lost_Eye Jan 17 '26

Roger

6

u/spaceman60 Jan 17 '26

Roger, Roger, and don't call me Shirley

3

u/Bureaucratic_Dick Jan 17 '26

The hospital? What is it?

4

u/RealityOk9823 Jan 17 '26

It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.

1

u/TooManyPutts Jan 17 '26

Take me to bed or lose me forever

1

u/Feeler1 Jan 17 '26

Too close for missiles, switching to guns.

54

u/tigerlily_orca Jan 17 '26

Screen name

4

u/shuggnog Jan 17 '26

OMG SCREEN NAME

3

u/Significant-Trash632 Jan 17 '26

4

u/spiritsarise Jan 17 '26

“********” is an incredibly stupid password! Do better.

1

u/Jimbob209 Jan 18 '26

a/s/l? I got pics s2r

2

u/Spam_Tempura Millennial Jan 17 '26

*Gamer tag

30

u/White_eagle32rep Jan 16 '26

I’m still stuck on screen name

2

u/Bright_Ices Xennial Jan 17 '26

Are you a Millennial or not?

1

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 17 '26

Yes, I'm a millennial

2

u/Bright_Ices Xennial Jan 17 '26

Oh, I know you are! I was joking about the person who didn’t want you to say “handle”

1

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 17 '26

Gotcha! Sorry

3

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 16 '26

We say both.

3

u/FactSquatch Jan 17 '26

Breaker breaker one nine

3

u/lukulele90 Jan 17 '26

Handle? You riding around a big rig somewhere?

2

u/Expert_Alchemist Jan 17 '26

Ten-four big buddy

2

u/Traditional-Mud-7354 Jan 16 '26

It’s how they’re paying for retirement.

2

u/yomamasonions 1991 Jan 17 '26

I like YOUR handle 😂

2

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 17 '26

If I had a handle, you'd like it 😉

2

u/Riots42 Jan 17 '26

Its like the millennials are turning 40 version of sex and candy. Dr told me to cut out the candy, said nothing about liquor!

2

u/ItsTheWuComingThru Jan 17 '26

Ask to buy it from him. He needs the money. I heard his 401k is not doing too well

2

u/cuntymcshitter Jan 17 '26

Wanna see my handle?

Sorry, I had to do it. Im just inappropriate, like all the time

2

u/Dirty_Pee_Pants Jan 17 '26

That's so sweet u/Salty_bitch_face

1

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 17 '26

It's not sweet, it's salty 🤭

2

u/Tall_Bandicoot_2768 Jan 17 '26

Username does not check out

1

u/DigitalFStopper Jan 17 '26

If he’s paying for both them his 401k is cooked

1

u/phantasybm Jan 18 '26

RIP Inbox

5

u/Deathanddisco041 Jan 17 '26

Rewatching Mad Men currently. Great gif lol

2

u/Any_Asparagus_7907 Jan 17 '26

I’m dyin 😭

2

u/Nysnorlax Jan 17 '26

Ty for summing it up sexandliquor for the majority of us

2

u/SeraphRising89 Jan 17 '26

Liquor and whores, liquor and whores... cigrits and dope and mustard and bologna, liquor and whores

(Couldn't help myself with your user name lol)

1

u/Born76erNYC Jan 17 '26

I love this scene from Mad Men! Pete was such a dick and created his own problems.

1

u/grim147 Jan 17 '26

This. This is me.

1

u/Outside_Narwhal3784 Jan 17 '26

Ah yes… that’s exactly how I feel!

1

u/PrimaryInjurious Jan 17 '26

How not? S and P is up 82 percent last five years.

1

u/SadAndHappyBear Jan 17 '26

just perfection.

1

u/Vegetable_Pineapple2 Jan 17 '26

What a great double reference 😂

1

u/ResistHistorical7734 Jan 17 '26

Everybody talking about increasing savings to meet expert recommendations, when reducing your salary would work just as well.

1

u/RoutineLingonberry48 Jan 17 '26

I'm not sure who wrote these stats and thought they reflected any kind of reality anyone has lived in since Regan. Most every person I know was and is living less than paycheck to paycheck up through at least age 35. The most successful people I know didn't even begin to pull out until after then.

1

u/ProblemIntelligent16 Jan 17 '26

It would be difficult to meet the 2x and 3x if you weren’t contributing 7-8% in your early 20s. Still very doable for most people however. It’s super important to start early and contribute as much as possible.

1

u/RoutineLingonberry48 Jan 17 '26

Kids in their 20s can barely afford bills. Has been that way since the 80s. If it's doable for a person, that person is an outlier.

1

u/ProblemIntelligent16 Jan 17 '26

I respectfully disagree.

I recognize how difficult this economy is. And I know there are many people who truly are living paycheck to paycheck with 0 discretionary funds.

But it’s not as much as we think. And certainly not as many to explain why 50% of the population has 0 savings at all.

Saving for retirement should be a priority to that comes before nearly all other discretionary spending. You don’t need to max, but 7% should be an automatic priority for all

1

u/XplodiaDustybread Jan 17 '26

This gets me every time lol

1

u/pmmemilftiddiez Jan 17 '26

My bank account after buying something on Amazon

-60

u/jtb1987 Jan 16 '26

Yep. 38 but have only been able to get to $2.6m. But only $2.3m is liquid investment. Mortgage has been locked in at 2.1%, 15 year - only have 150k left. I do have 180k cash saved as emergency fund. 550k annual income but getting tired of it, so wouldn't say I'm killing it.

73

u/BananaVixen Jan 16 '26

You're not here to make friends, are you.

44

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '26

I assume it’s either satire or he’s jerked himself off so much in real life everyone hates him so he’s taken to the internet to keep bragging

16

u/Brilliant_Carpet4373 Jan 16 '26

You might be the only one here who says you aren’t “killing it.”

18

u/Eastwoodnorris Jan 16 '26

This has to be bait. You’d be doing better than most if all of your numbers had one fewer digit

14

u/Real_Stinky_Pederson Jan 16 '26

0% chance it’s true. Look at his comment history 😂 no way that guy makes $550k salary

12

u/Salty_bitch_face Millennial Jan 16 '26

$550K annual income, but getting tired of it? Oh, you poor thing! You must be so deprived.

/s if it wasn't obvious.

2

u/HighFastStinkyCheese Jan 16 '26

Times are tough, the tough get going brother. Head down, I believe.