How Much Do I Need to Retire Comfortably?

By Steve Allender, CRPC®

Ask three financial professionals about the amount you need to save for retirement, and you’re likely to receive three different answers. One might provide a specific number, like $1 million. Another might base it on future spending, suggesting you save enough to draw down 80-90% of your pre-retirement income annually. And yet another might offer a simple formula, like saving 12 times your pre-retirement salary. With all these options, how do you determine what’s right for you? And how can you know you’re on track?

Getting to your magic number as a healthcare worker involves analyzing different variables than people in other professions. To help you find clarity, read the following questions to help you arrive at the right number for your unique retirement.

What’s Your Ideal Retirement Date?

Your age (now and in retirement) is one of the most significant factors to consider when determining how much money you need to save. Because nurses tend to retire at a younger age than people in other professions, you’ll have fewer years to save for a longer retirement. And if you start claiming Social Security benefits before full retirement age, you’ll also have to factor in a smaller monthly benefit amount.

The state of the stock market can also play a role in how much money you need and how long your money lasts. A Vanguard study found that you have a 31% higher chance of running out of money if you retire near or during a bear market. Of course, you have no way of knowing if we’ll be in a bear or bull market when you retire—but this is a scenario you must account for in your retirement planning. 

What Do You Want Your Retirement Life to Look Like?

Have you thought about the type of lifestyle you want to have in retirement? If you know you want to travel, play golf, or spend time with your grandkids, you need to factor in what that looks like and how much it will cost.

For example, if you plan to travel, you’ll need to consider: 

• Will you be traveling stateside or internationally?
• How often do you want to travel?
• How would you like to get there? (e.g., car, plane, or RV)
• Where would you like to stay? (e.g., 5-star hotel, Airbnb, with family members)
• Will you be traveling with your family? Would you like to cover their expenses too?
• Will you maintain your primary residence? If so, who will watch your house and maintain it while you’re gone?

Even if your dream is simply to spend time with your grandkids, you’ll still need to think through your expectations and expenses. To some people, “spending time with grandkids” means babysitting a few times a week. To others, it means footing the bill for all-expenses-paid trips to various destinations of their choosing. Whatever it is you want to do with your time, map out the details so you can have a clear picture of how much you’ll need to make it a reality. 

Will You Earn an Income in Retirement?

Working during your retirement is a great way to stay active, keep your mind sharp, and maintain a sense of purpose. Some retirees choose to build a second career through consulting. Others decide to pick up a low-stress, part-time job at a family office or retail store. No matter what you do, if you plan to work during retirement, you won’t have to save as much to live comfortably. 

How Much Debt Do You Carry?

Bringing debt into retirement has two major drawbacks: 

1. It reduces the amount of cash flow you have for housing, travel, hobbies, and other non-essential purchases.
2. It can potentially drain your retirement savings quicker, which means you may run out of money or have to adjust your lifestyle down the road. 

If you carry debt, take a close look at what you owe and figure out how much cash flow you’ll need in retirement to cover these expenses. Some people prefer to pay off any high-interest consumer debt before they retire. Others will take it one step further by paying down their mortgage and auto loans too.

What Kind of Healthcare Coverage Do You Expect to Have?

Right now, you most likely have health insurance through your employer. When you stop working as a nurse, you’ll need to have a plan for healthcare coverage another way. You may be able to hop on your spouse’s plan, if he or she is still working. Or you can get coverage through the healthcare marketplace. You qualify for Medicare starting at age 65, but even then, you may want additional coverage to pay for prescription drugs, dental care, eye exams, and other expenses. 

Retirees sometimes fail to fully plan for expenses during the later stages of retirement, and medical care often tops the list (you’re likely more aware of this than others!). It’s estimated that retirees will use 15% of their income for health expenses, and the average retired couple could see healthcare expenses of approximately $300,000 after age 65. Don’t let this be a planning oversight that prevents you from retiring comfortably!

Will You Have Any Dependents?

Your kids may be grown and out of the house by the time you retire, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll stop supporting them financially. Over 79% of parents said they still give financial support to their adult children (ages 18 to 34), according to a Merrill Lynch study, and the COVID-19 pandemic caused a boomerang effect, with 67% of adult children still living at home with their parents after returning home in need of financial help.

And even if you aren’t helping your kids out with daily expenses, you may want to contribute to their weddings or down payments on home purchases down the road.  

Where Will You Live?

Housing may be your biggest expense in retirement. And even if your home is paid off, you might want to consider downsizing to a smaller place that requires less maintenance and has cheaper utility costs. 

To save even more, you can think about relocating to an area that has an overall lower cost of living. For example, the cost of living in Orlando, FL, is only 3.3% higher than the national U.S. average, whereas the cost of living in Los Angeles, CA, is 76.2% higher than the U.S average. As you can see, where you live can make a huge impact on the overall cost of retirement.

What Is Your Family’s Health History?

The average 65-year-old man has a 35% chance of living until age 90; that rate goes up to 46% for a woman the same age. And while life expectancy is unpredictable, if your family has a strong history of living to age 90 and beyond, your chances may be even greater than these odds. In this case, you’ll need to determine if your planned retirement savings will last long enough. 

Similarly, if you have known health conditions and/or a family history of health problems that could affect your life span, you’ll want to consider this too. 

A Custom Approach to Serve You

Imagine if determining the ideal amount needed for your retirement was as simple as a basic formula or percentage. Unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward. Your magic number for a comfortable retirement is unique to your financial situation, family history, and personal goals.

At Acute WealthCare, we understand the complexities of financial management, and we prioritize the individual needs you have as a healthcare worker. Our goal is to simplify the process and empower you to make confident financial decisions. By entrusting us with your financial well-being, you can feel confident knowing we’re carefully and responsibly managing your assets within a personalized retirement plan.

Ready to partner with a trusted financial planner who can help you strike the perfect balance between living the life you desire and safeguarding your nest egg? Schedule a 15-minute introductory phone call to get started!

About Steve

Steve Allender is a partner and wealth advisor at Acute WealthCare, an independent, fee-based comprehensive financial services firm. Steve is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ who spends his days helping women in healthcare professions build a secure financial future through investment management and financial planning. Steve loves building long-term relationships with his clients and helping them address financial burdens so they can focus on what they love and how they want to spend their time. While Steve has officially been in the financial industry for over 20 years, he became hooked on learning about finances as a child when his parents taught him the basics of saving, spending, and giving. Steve enjoys all the outdoor activities living in Colorado provides, and you can often find him backpacking, snowshoeing, rafting, mountain biking, fishing, and exploring old mining communities. His claim to fame is that he is a Colorado Trail thru-hike completer, covering 486 miles of the most beautiful country on earth. Steve also enjoys a good book about Lincoln and the Civil War and is committed to his community, mentoring through Save Our Youth and helping the elderly and single moms with household maintenance through the Minute Man Ministry. Learn more about Steve by connecting with him on LinkedIn. You can also register for his latest webinar on What We Do & How We Help.