Here’s How Much You Need To Retire With a $200K Lifestyle
Written by
Sarah Li Cain
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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If you want to retire with an $200,000 per year lifestyle, you will need to plan early and strategically to make it happen.
Yes, you can use rules of thumb like the traditional 4% rule as a guide, but there are other ways to make it happen. Depending on the sources of your income and how early you start retirement planning, you may need less than you think.
Let’s break down some numbers and strategies you can take to help you reach this lofty retirement goal.
Using the Updated 4% Rule
For decades, many relied on the 4% rule for retirement planning. Developed by financial planner William Bengen and later supported by the Trinity Study, the rule said that you could safely withdraw 4% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement, then adjust that for inflation each year afterwards.
Recent research from Bengen, as reported by Newsweek, shows that now, the 4% rule could be closer to 4.7%. So instead of needing $5 million in your portfolio, you’ll need around $4.26 million instead.
Of course, this amount is still probably out of reach for many. Still, you might still be able to retire and aspire to this level of retirement income.
Ways To Retire With a $200K Lifestyle Without Saving $4 to $5 Million
Not every retiree will need to rely only on investment withdrawals for their income. There are some different sources and strategies you can use to lower the amount you need to save upfront.
Some of these include:
- Guaranteed income source: If you have a pension, that’s great! This can help you create a predictable and lifelong income stream. Otherwise, annuities can do the same and may not require the full $4 to $5 million needed. Make sure to do your research and read to fine print to know what you’re getting into.
- Social Security checks: Depending on your income in your working years, you can rely on this steady income source after you’re of qualifying age, which can make up part of what you need. You can even delay it up to 70 years old for a bigger paycheck.
- Passive income streams: Some choose to build up other income sources like dividends, royalties or from rental properties. Yes, there’s an upfront investment, but it might not be as high as you think.
- Occasional consulting or part-time work: If you’re willing and your health allows it, you could continue to work to supplement what you need.
Even if you manage an additional $30,000 to $50,000 in annual income from these sources for example, it could change how much you need to withdraw from your retirement accounts.
Coast FIRE as an Option
Coast FIRE (financial independence, retire early) is a strategy where you aggressively save early on, so that at some point, you can let your retirement accounts grow on their own. Once you hit the “coast” number, all you need to do is to earn enough annually to cover your living expenses until the age you want to retire.
Why does this work? Because it essentially leverages compounding. So instead of saving and investing millions, you may not need as much. And the earlier you do it, the less you need.
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