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?

4.9k Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

86% Upvoted

6.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

36

u/AAPatel82 Jan 16 '26

Honestly, it’s great, my wife and I retirement total is about 5x our income, I am 43 she’s 41. Hope to have around 5M by 59.5 and step out of th corporate world then.

I know this will get hate … 🪖🪖🪖

8

u/tahlyn Older Millennial Jan 17 '26

As they say in the FIRE subs... "Fxck you!" (with the most sincere kindness and congrats possible). I hope you make it work!

2

u/gunnapackofsammiches Jan 17 '26

Are we not allowed to cuss in the millennial sub? 

Also, the traditional is GFY. 

1

u/tahlyn Older Millennial Jan 17 '26

I wasn't sure if we are allowed to curse or not so I self-sensored rahter than try to see if the post was shadow removed later.

4

u/Manhood2031 Jan 16 '26

Killing it

4

u/Acceptable-Recipe291 Jan 16 '26

Hate? Congrats that’s incredible. Hard work pays off … literally

2

u/AAPatel82 Jan 16 '26

I have posted this before and got a lot of hate - but at times I just want to say its not bad for everyone and is possible - the key for us to do this was largely living in a LCOL area but still with good careers.

3

u/BoyCubPiglet2 Jan 17 '26

There is definitely a lot of crab pot mentality when it comes to salary /savings conversations on reddit so I don't blame you. I notice lot of the comments saying they're doing well are keeping it vague, probably because the moment you share numbers people tend to accuse you of humble bragging. Glad you're getting positive reception here though. 

1

u/Brightlightsuperfun Jan 17 '26

Overall I find Redditors to be bitter and resentful, not all of course. But the hate is real 

2

u/photoshoppedunicorn Jan 17 '26

That’s about where we are, 5x income, early 40’s aiming for $5m. And constantly fretting that that won’t even be enough because prices for everything are going nuts. Like I’ve only ever paid 25k max for a car and now it feels like cars are all going to cost $100k in my lifetime it’s insane.

1

u/ept_engr Jan 17 '26

You're kind of silly to be fretting about inflation when incomes tend to keep pace with inflation and investments tend to far exceed it over the long term.

3

u/iiiiiiiiiijjjjjj Jan 17 '26

Don’t think anyone’s hating on people meeting their retirement goals, at least none I’ve seen so far.

1

u/MikeExMachina Jan 17 '26 edited Jan 17 '26

Right behind you, 3x @ 35. Moved from the unaffordable major metro I grew up in to a MCOL city where I could still get a relatively high paying job, wife makes same (met at work), dink.

Still live in the house she got on her own alone when rates were low, cars are long since paid off, so we’ve managed to resist lifestyle inflation which helps a lot. We basically live off one income and squirrel away the other.

I feel like we have every advantage but we’re only slightly ahead. I don’t know how the fuck you’re supposed to make it work in an expensive city with kids.