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Median 401k average by age

Under 25 - $2,800 25 to 34 - $15,000 35 to 44 - $36,000 4...
wine beta persian
  05/13/25
how do people afford to live in this country? the math reall...
alcoholic beady-eyed mother
  05/13/25
the math ain't mathing frfr
vivacious trailer park
  05/13/25
when gen x and beyond really start retiring en masse, there ...
Bistre giraffe round eye
  05/13/25
Most people have all cash bu$ine$$e$ and make bank while dum...
chrome incel plaza
  05/13/25
Ouch
charismatic confused boistinker ceo
  05/13/25
https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724466&mc=1&am...
Green galvanic black woman
  05/13/25
...
at-the-ready university milk
  05/14/25
These sites massively overestimate the cost of "retirem...
pale cowardly brethren
  05/13/25
that might be true, but it makes sense that "they"...
vivacious trailer park
  05/14/25
it depends largely on whether or not you own a house my d...
Sick senate
  05/14/25
Every prole I know regards SS as a retirement account. It&rs...
soul-stirring cyan water buffalo
  05/14/25
and cost of living isnt changing as a result of manic QE dur...
180 therapy knife
  05/14/25
Cr. I know people that have very little cash and just use so...
misunderstood address
  05/14/25
The other thing I am always suspicious of with these statist...
obsidian arousing potus
  05/20/25
I feel like most people I interact with have vast amounts of...
lemon mad-dog skullcap
  05/20/25
thats cuz u gay
Sick senate
  05/20/25
401k = fraud
jet-lagged smoky party of the first part lay
  05/13/25
wowza
lime theatre
  05/13/25
I’m mid-40s and I don’t even have a 401(k)
Floppy Mildly Autistic Shrine
  05/13/25
Do you have 1,000,000k in Schwab or something
rose native personal credit line
  05/13/25
He has millions and millions and pretends to be poor as a sc...
Violet Narrow-minded Gay Wizard
  05/13/25
Jfc why are people so poor.
Spruce step-uncle's house
  05/13/25
Maybe don’t elect politicians bought by billioniares?
charismatic confused boistinker ceo
  05/14/25
Jobs pay shit
Comical Fiercely-loyal Kitchen
  05/14/25
This stuff should be funded automatically and irrevocably an...
rose native personal credit line
  05/13/25
Is this a flame stat? Most people are going to roll their 40...
painfully honest sickened chapel idiot
  05/14/25
Yeah, I have only about $150k in my current 401k, but I swit...
naked tanning salon
  05/14/25
Lmao. Yeah the average Walmart worker has $450k in his old e...
adventurous corner
  05/14/25
You sound shit with money, if you make even just $200K you s...
painfully honest sickened chapel idiot
  05/14/25
I have kids
adventurous corner
  05/14/25
? Even if you have "kids" you are still eligible t...
painfully honest sickened chapel idiot
  05/20/25
Cr
obsidian arousing potus
  05/20/25
Even if that were the case, it probably wouldn't affect the ...
rose native personal credit line
  05/14/25
Sure it would, because they're looking at the median account...
painfully honest sickened chapel idiot
  05/14/25
That wouldn't matter in the real data set imo. also it's eas...
rose native personal credit line
  05/14/25
yeah, every account he listed is over every single one of th...
histrionic house
  05/20/25
Here’s the report. I doubt what you’re saying ha...
medicated halford ape
  05/14/25
What does this mean for Liberals like us?
rose native personal credit line
  05/14/25
...
soul-stirring cyan water buffalo
  05/14/25
...
Sick senate
  05/14/25
...
rose native personal credit line
  05/14/25
...
at-the-ready university milk
  05/14/25
...
rose native personal credit line
  05/14/25
even though the counterarguments ITT suck, I still believe t...
histrionic house
  05/20/25
Most people contribute just enough to get the match if at al...
rose native personal credit line
  05/20/25
100% true and accurate post. If only you knew how bad th...
Dark razzle-dazzle spot
  05/20/25
he does know obviously, as do I. IDK why people are pretendi...
soul-stirring cyan water buffalo
  05/20/25
I have no idea if they are counting people with no 401k in t...
Violent candlestick maker roast beef
  05/20/25
The numbers are usually e.g. from fidelity you idiot. It&rsq...
rose native personal credit line
  05/20/25


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 10:49 PM
Author: wine beta persian

Under 25 - $2,800

25 to 34 - $15,000

35 to 44 - $36,000

45 to 54 - $61,000

55 to 64 - $87,000

Over 65 - $88,000

Per Vanguard's 2024 report

https://x.com/grok/status/1922262989551632557

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928613)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 10:51 PM
Author: alcoholic beady-eyed mother

how do people afford to live in this country? the math really doesn't work out.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928618)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 10:52 PM
Author: vivacious trailer park

the math ain't mathing frfr

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928627)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:24 PM
Author: Bistre giraffe round eye

when gen x and beyond really start retiring en masse, there is going to be a legitimate crisis. assuming the world hasn’t already been upended by ai.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928760)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:25 PM
Author: chrome incel plaza

Most people have all cash bu$ine$$e$ and make bank while dumb lawyers pay 45% of their income in taxes and hand the rest over to their shrew wives

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928766)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:41 PM
Author: charismatic confused boistinker ceo

Ouch

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928828)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:25 PM
Author: Green galvanic black woman

https://xoxohth.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724466&mc=1&forum_id=2

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928768)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 4:17 PM
Author: at-the-ready university milk



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48930819)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:29 PM
Author: pale cowardly brethren

These sites massively overestimate the cost of "retirement" - most older people

1. Have paid off or at least low mortgage homes

2. Get social security

3. Continue to work and have some income

4. Don't have dependents and have pretty low expenses

The idea that you need to have enough 401k to be able to match your current $300k salary for 30 years doing no work is just 401k propaganda.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928789)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 8:50 AM
Author: vivacious trailer park

that might be true, but it makes sense that "they" would overstate what you need in retirement. but that is irrelevant to the OP. if someone is 50 years old and has $88k or whatever saved for retirement, they are in a very bad situation.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929307)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 8:53 AM
Author: Sick senate

it depends largely on whether or not you own a house

my dad is worth negative dollars but the house is paid off and he basically has no expenses beyond food and medicine so he can completely live off social security

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929316)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 9:05 AM
Author: soul-stirring cyan water buffalo

Every prole I know regards SS as a retirement account. It’s ignominious but they have low standards and don’t care.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929341)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:57 AM
Author: 180 therapy knife

and cost of living isnt changing as a result of manic QE during covid (a trend initiated in 2008) right?

groceries will still cost $100/wk in 20 years?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929646)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:18 AM
Author: misunderstood address

Cr. I know people that have very little cash and just use social security and reverse mortgage their house. You don't need to leave anything to your kids lmao

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929528)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 7:39 AM
Author: obsidian arousing potus

The other thing I am always suspicious of with these statistics is that I suspect they don’t aggregate multiple accounts. The average office worker today has a 401k plus three different rollover Ira’s from prior jerbs often held by different custodians.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946574)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 8:20 AM
Author: lemon mad-dog skullcap

I feel like most people I interact with have vast amounts of generational wealth and then the rest just Yolo credit card it. Few people I know are like me and work for every penny they have and I feel stupid for choosing this route a lot of times.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946614)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 8:52 AM
Author: Sick senate

thats cuz u gay

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946650)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 10:51 PM
Author: jet-lagged smoky party of the first part lay

401k = fraud

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928620)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:20 PM
Author: lime theatre

wowza

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928726)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:30 PM
Author: Floppy Mildly Autistic Shrine

I’m mid-40s and I don’t even have a 401(k)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928792)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:50 PM
Author: rose native personal credit line

Do you have 1,000,000k in Schwab or something

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928841)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:54 PM
Author: Violet Narrow-minded Gay Wizard

He has millions and millions and pretends to be poor as a schtick

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928843)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:32 PM
Author: Spruce step-uncle's house

Jfc why are people so poor.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928804)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:16 AM
Author: charismatic confused boistinker ceo

Maybe don’t elect politicians bought by billioniares?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929524)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 4:55 PM
Author: Comical Fiercely-loyal Kitchen

Jobs pay shit

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48930956)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 13th, 2025 11:45 PM
Author: rose native personal credit line

This stuff should be funded automatically and irrevocably and at the lower of like 17% of salary or 30k/yr. This way there’d be fewer destitute property support and Houses/Cars/mcdonalds wouldn’t be so inflated. Fuck “freedom.” Proles need to be RULED.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48928835)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 9:11 AM
Author: painfully honest sickened chapel idiot

Is this a flame stat? Most people are going to roll their 401k into IRA's when they change jobs, so their 401k balance could be low even if they're millionaires. Or even if they just leave their old 401(k) in their old plan, instead of one person with 500,000 they may show up as a 300K and a 200K. We've done the scholarship on XO and everybody is a millionaire, so their net worth must be in something else.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929355)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 9:46 AM
Author: naked tanning salon

Yeah, I have only about $150k in my current 401k, but I switched jobs about five years ago. But I have $450k in a former employer's 401k. (This employer pays some of my health care expenses in retirement, but I lose that benefit if I roll over my 401k. It doesn't make sense to me, either, but I didn't roll it over for that reason.) I also have about $400k in Roth IRA's (some of which is money I rolled over from 401k's when I was younger). My wife also has about $200k in Roth IRA's and another $100k in her 401k. So if you only look at one of our accounts in a vacuum, it looks like we are fucked, but if you combine all of our accounts, we are in pretty solid shape.

TLDR: Median retirement balances are meaningless because most people have multiple accounts.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929470)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:19 AM
Author: adventurous corner

Lmao. Yeah the average Walmart worker has $450k in his old employers 401k. I make $200k a year which is shit yet there are plenty of people who make $80k. Even I have periods where I bought a house, etc where I lowered my 401k contribution to zero just to have the cash on hand. Lmao at a $80k employee having more in his 401k than $150k or so.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929531)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:34 AM
Author: painfully honest sickened chapel idiot

You sound shit with money, if you make even just $200K you should at least be maxing 401(k), IRA, HSA, and iBonds every year.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929565)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:49 AM
Author: adventurous corner

I have kids

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929611)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 2:05 AM
Author: painfully honest sickened chapel idiot

? Even if you have "kids" you are still eligible to contribute to the aforementioned accounts, friend!

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946382)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 7:41 AM
Author: obsidian arousing potus

Cr

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946577)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:25 AM
Author: rose native personal credit line

Even if that were the case, it probably wouldn't affect the MEDIAN much imho.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929543)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:34 AM
Author: painfully honest sickened chapel idiot

Sure it would, because they're looking at the median account, not how much the median account holder actually has. To do a super simplified example, if everybody has $300K in their 401(k), then the median is $300K. But if everybody has three 401(k)'s of $100K each, the median is $100K despite them all having $300K.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929564)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 10:38 AM
Author: rose native personal credit line

That wouldn't matter in the real data set imo. also it's easy to transfer 401ks.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929577)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 2:53 AM
Author: histrionic house

yeah, every account he listed is over every single one of those medians above. so actually he and his wife helped boost the median like 6 times instead of 2 per his own analysis.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946402)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 11:31 AM
Author: medicated halford ape

Here’s the report. I doubt what you’re saying has any impact. You can see in the data that the median length of time of participation is very short, the income subject to contribution (70k) not very high, and the amount that’s contributed each year is paltry (about a few thousand). Most people don’t start in a 401k job until they're practically mid-career and then they (and their employer) contribute next to nothing.

https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/dam/corp/research/pdf/how_america_saves_report_2024.pdf

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929780)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 12:22 PM
Author: rose native personal credit line

What does this mean for Liberals like us?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929937)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 12:33 PM
Author: soul-stirring cyan water buffalo



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48929971)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 12:41 PM
Author: Sick senate



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48930019)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 1:11 PM
Author: rose native personal credit line



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48930135)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 4:16 PM
Author: at-the-ready university milk



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48930817)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 14th, 2025 4:32 PM
Author: rose native personal credit line



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48930875)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 2:54 AM
Author: histrionic house

even though the counterarguments ITT suck, I still believe those numbers are flame. anyone who has had even a remotely white collar job or proles who have blue collar jobs who work for big companies (e.g., Amazon warehouse drone) will have stocks away enough + have compounding returns over the years to be above the medians listed.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946403)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 7:28 AM
Author: rose native personal credit line

Most people contribute just enough to get the match if at all. And they’ll think they are shrewd and brag about it on reddit. Very few contribute anything between the contribution % required to get the match and the max of $23,000k/yr or whatever. The latter is OCI aces, shrewd Losers, and olds trying to play catchup.

Also once poors figure out that 401k loans exist or that they can withdraw the money and pay a penalty, it’s over.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946567)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 8:56 AM
Author: Dark razzle-dazzle spot

100% true and accurate post.

If only you knew how bad things really are.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946659)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 9:21 AM
Author: soul-stirring cyan water buffalo

he does know obviously, as do I. IDK why people are pretending that there's some turnaround in the future of the US, it's utterly over.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946684)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 7:50 AM
Author: Violent candlestick maker roast beef

I have no idea if they are counting people with no 401k in the average or by '401k' they mean literal 401k's and not other investment accounts (my literal 401k is only like $130k now because I rolled all my previous 401k's into IRA's.) so who the fuck even knows. But if they are counting no 401k mo's then that will drop the average pretty hard since rich people still have contribution limits.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946588)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 20th, 2025 7:54 AM
Author: rose native personal credit line

The numbers are usually e.g. from fidelity you idiot. It’s like Bank of America telling you the average account balance.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5724688&forum_id=2#48946596)