We have talked about many retirement planning issues. It is time to determine how much money do you need in order to be able to retire. Many factors influence the retirement decision; however, we have assembled a table that will highlight some parameters and provide some guidance.
Assumptions:
| Annual Income | $70,000 |
| Inflation | 3.5% |
| Earnings Rate | 12.0% |
| Life Expectancy | 90 |
| Years in Retirement | 50 | 40 | 30 | 20 |
| Total amount Needed Today | $904,529 | $883,107 | $835,942 | $732,095 |
The analysis assumes that at life expectancy (the last year of retirement), the balance in the savings account is 0. (You better hope you are not around.) Also, all assumptions need to materialize as expected (not likely). Finally, the analysis assumes that each withdrawal occurs at the beginning of the year (i.e. You need to eat during the first year of retirement).