How Much Should You Have Saved for Retirement by Age? (2026 Guide)

How much should you have saved for retirement by now? It’s one of the most common questions in personal finance — and one of the most anxiety-inducing if your balance doesn’t match the benchmark. The good news: these are guidelines, not verdicts, and it’s rarely too late to course-correct.

Here are the most widely cited retirement savings benchmarks by age for 2026, along with context for what they mean and what to do if you’re behind.

Retirement Savings Benchmarks by Age

Fidelity’s widely-referenced benchmarks suggest having saved the following multiples of your annual salary by each age milestone:

By age 30: 1x your annual salary. If you earn $60,000, target $60,000 saved. By age 40: 3x your salary ($180,000 on $60k income). By age 50: 6x your salary ($360,000). By age 60: 8x your salary ($480,000). By age 67 (full retirement age): 10x your salary ($600,000).

These benchmarks assume you’ll replace about 45% of pre-retirement income from savings (with Social Security covering the rest) and that your money is invested in a diversified portfolio earning roughly 5.5% annually after fees.

What If You’re Behind?

Being behind on these benchmarks is far more common than most people realize — a 2024 survey found that nearly 57% of Americans feel behind on retirement savings. If that’s you, the most important thing is to stop comparing and start acting. Here’s what moves the needle most:

Maximize catch-up contributions (ages 50+). The IRS allows you to contribute $31,000/year to a 401(k) if you’re 50 or older — $7,500 more than younger workers. Over 15 years at 7% growth, that extra $7,500/year compounds to over $189,000.

Delay retirement by 1–3 years. Each additional year you work has a triple benefit: more contributions, less time drawing down the account, and a larger Social Security benefit (Social Security grows 8% per year you delay claiming between 62 and 70).

Reduce fees in your portfolio. Switching from actively managed funds to low-cost index funds can save 0.5–1.5% per year in fees. On a $300,000 portfolio, that’s $1,500–$4,500 back in your pocket annually.

Diversify into inflation-resistant assets. Stocks and bonds can both lose value during inflationary periods. A 5–15% allocation to physical gold or silver via a self-directed IRA can help protect purchasing power when traditional assets struggle.

How Much Do You Actually Need to Retire?

The “10x salary” rule is a rough guideline. Your actual number depends on your planned spending in retirement, your healthcare costs, whether you own your home outright, your Social Security benefit, any pension income, and how long you expect to live.

A common planning rule is the 4% rule: you can safely withdraw 4% of your portfolio per year in retirement with low risk of running out of money over 30 years. Under this rule, $1 million supports $40,000/year in withdrawals. If you expect to spend $70,000/year and receive $25,000 from Social Security, you need your portfolio to generate $45,000 — requiring roughly $1.125 million saved.